Never Stop Learning
by Captain Turlow
Summary: Faye Parson was just trying to save the school she used to teach at. But when she turns to billionaire, playboy, Bruce Wayne for aide everthing turns upsidedown... This story is Bruce/OC. Please just give the 1st chapter a try and tell me what you think.
1. Faye Parson The Girl With No Job

Faye Parson, black heels clicking along the tile floor of Gotham City Highschool

**Well for those of you who are reading me other story in the Harry Potter section I will still finish it and update regularly. I just had this idea and I wanted to share it with other people. FYI people this story will be a BruceOC as much as I love our good friend the Joker ( I mean who couldn't Health did an amazing job) I felt there were too many stories with him in it and not enough just focusing on Batman. So here it is my story I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Batman except my Batman T-Shirt which is bought and paid for everything else belong to WB and DC.**

Faye Parson, black heels clicking along the tile floor of Gotham City Highschool made her way to the principle's office. In her one hand she clutched a small pink slip of paper that was now slightly wrinkled after she had crumpled it up in rage. Her other hand was balled into a fist as she tired not to yell in anger like she so desperately wanted to. She continued down the hall, until she finally reached her destination. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to control her temper she turned the handle of the door leading to the principle's office.

Her colleague, Sophie Mathews sat at her desk, a large stack of paperwork spread out over the surface. Faye watched as Sophie let out a sign of annoyance grabbing a pink slip just like the one in Faye's hand, scribbling down the name of yet another teacher who would not have a job this year.

"Sophie, I can't believe you fired me!" Said Faye regarding her friend with a hard glare. The deep breath had not helped her temper at all.

"Faye, you know I didn't want to. The board cut our budget even more and I can't be expecting any donations this year. The mob is to busy trying to fix itself after what happened a few months ago, because of the Joker everyone is Gotham is paying a price, even its criminals." Said Sophie. Faye noticed that her friend looked rather tired and had dark circles under her pale blue eyes.

"You never told me you took money from the mob." Said Faye still glaring a look of disgust on her face.

"Don't give me that look. I did what I had to do. Where do you think I got that money for those crappy second hand books? From the city? Hell no! They have to use all of there money to try and make our streets safe. No one cares about the education department." Said Sophie in a frustrated tone.

"Well they should! How many students will there be in one class now?" Said Faye her temper dying down, as she tucked a lock of her long black hair behind her ear.

"About 60 and we don't have nearly enough books." Said Sophie looking rather weary.

"Jesus, there must be something we could do."

"There's nothing I can do. You however can start looking in the want ads for a job, or are you thinking of going through the academy again?"

"Join the police force? I don't think so, the reason I quit last time is because there were more people who worked for the mob in the force than there are in an Italian restaurant!"

"Well you may have lost you job but I see it hasn't effected you sense of humor." Sophie said with a small smile.

"Probably because I still think I have a job. God what am I going to do for work, all I have is a bachelors in history and a masters in education."

"And ¾ of the way through police training. I'm sure it's better there now, that new Commissioner, Gordon I think his name is, he seems like a good guy."

"Yeah, but it's a little hard to figure out who's the good guy and who's the bad guy nowadays, I mean take Batman for instance. The man was the closest think to a superhero I have ever heard of and now the police are after him for the murder of Harvey Dent."

"Do you know who you should work for?" Said Sophie excitedly

"Who?" Said Faye not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

"Bruce Wayne, the man owns half the city I'm sure you could get a job working for him, maybe like a receptionist or something."

"Sophie that's a great idea!" Faye said also looking excited but for a different reason.

"You really think so?"

"Bruce Wayne could make a donation to the school. It would help us cause we need the money! Plus it would look good for him taking on a charity like us. Rich guys love to make the 'I'm not just a playboy I also like to help out my community' sort of impression."

"Which would mean you would get your job back! Though I was secretly hoping you would work at Wayne Tower, because then I could visit you and maybe spot Bruce Wayne, that man is defiantly easy on the eyes if you catch my drift."

"Oh quit drooling you have a fiancé. Besides men like Bruce Wayne are so shallow, I bet the man has never had to work for anything his entire life. He just drives around in his fancy little sports care and parties all night. I bet if he just spent one night on the city on his own he'd realize what a mess it is and really help it rather than blowing his cash speedboats or whatever it is he spends it on."

"Alright, already I forgot how much you hate the man. Jesus you certainly have a chip on you shoulder when it comes to him."

"I just don't like the fact that he had so much power and he doesn't use it properly. I have next to nothing and every day I have taught here I have provided ways out for the students here by showing them were to get real jobs and not the ones the mob offers. Hell even Batman does something to help the city, but Bruce Wayne not really, his company yes, but him, no."

"Well you better learn to be at least civil around him, that is if you want that plan of your to work." Said Sophie.

"I know. I'll call his company tonight and see if I can schedule an appointment with Mr. Wayne. I'll find a way to help this school." Said Faye with determination. Realizing her mission she headed to the door and head out into the hallway. She heard Sophie yell to her from inside her office.

"You better hurry school starts in a week! And still look at those want ads!"

Faye just smiled, she knew she didn't need to look in the want ads. She was going to make an impact on this city one way on another. If it meant she needed a little help from Bruce Wayne so be it.

**Yes I know it's short but this is the first chapter so it's sort of a trial one. I except **_**constructive**_** criticism and other forms of reviews, except flames cause they make me angry and you don't want to see me when I'm…oh wait wrong movie…just review and don't say you hate the story because that doesn't help me make it better now does it?**

**Well that's all for my rambling today folks so ta ta for now!**

**Captain Turlow **


	2. Staplers

**I'm so glad you people all like this story for far. Here is the second chapter it is longer than the first one. Enjoy!**

Faye was surprised that night when she called Wayne Enterprises. She had expected that she wasn't even going to be able to schedule an appointment with Mr. Wayne until at least sometime next month. She was pleased to discover that Mr. Wayne actually had an opening for tomorrow at 7:00 in the morning.

So after putting on her gray dress pants, white blouse and completing the ensemble with her favorite pair of black high heels, she made her way to the train station a block away from her house.

Faye had never really liked taking the train because there was always the likely chance that you would get mugged, however due to her current finical status felt it would be best to take the free form of transportation.

When the train finally stopped at Wayne Tower the center of Gotham itself, Faye exited and made her way across the granite floor to the security desk.

"I have a 7:00 appointment with Mr. Wayne, I'm Faye Parson." She said watching at the guard looked a list of names.

"Alright then, Miss Parson just go through those doors and take the elevator to the 25th floor exit out those doors and you will find a conference room, your meeting should be in there." Said the guard.

"Thank you." Said Faye with a kind smile as she proceeded into the elevator along with all the men and women in business clothes babbling into there Bluetooth's and emailing on there Blackberry's

She was ten minutes early for her meeting so she was the first one to enter the conference room. She was so busy shifting trough the papers of statistics she had found while researching the school to even notice that Bruce Wayne himself had just entered the conference room. Bruce however took notice of the black hair women sitting at the conference table. He wracked his brain for what cooperation she could possible be here for and what his first meeting of the day was about but he just couldn't remember for the life of him, luckily Lucius enter the room saving him.

"Ah, Ms. Parson, you are here to talk about the local Highschool, correct?" He said.

"Yes, I am." She said getting up out of her seat to greet the man. "And you are?"

"Lucius Fox." He said shaking her hand.

"And I'm Bruce Wayne." Said Bruce taking this moment to introduce himself as well.

"Nice to meet you." She said with a smile, though Bruce could tell it was far from genuine.

"Well let's get started then shall we?" Bruce said taking a seat at the table. Mr. Fox took at seat as well leaving Faye standing so she could pit her idea.

She told them that she about the limited funding the school was receiving followed by a large number of stats about test scores, student to teacher ratio, and the number of students who graduate, and those who move onto schools of higher learning. Bruce had been trying very hard to stay awake through Ms. Parson's speech she was after all trying to help a good cause, however he had been up almost all night having the police chase after him. Despite his best efforts he was fighting a losing battle.

Faye who had been watching the expression of both Mr. Fox and Mr. Wayne the entire time noticed that Mr. Fox was attentively listening to what she was saying Mr. Wayne had now dosed off. She paused for a moment.

Lusius took this pause as a chance to speak. "Well Ms. Parson, it seems as though what you are trying to help in very much in need of it. It is important to leave future of this city in capable hand and if what you are saying to true then the education system does not have the means to do so. What am I wondering is why you did not take this matter up with the city officials?"

Faye who had not been looking at Mr. Fox when he was talking she was instead sending a hard glare from her soft blue at in Mr. Wayne's direction. "I will answer that in a moment Mr. Fox but first my I borrow this stapler?" She asked picking up the heavy black stapler of the table.

"Of course." Said Mr. Fox watching her with curiosity and she held the stapler high above the area of the table right in front of Mr. Wayne. She then proceed to drop it from it's rather high area so that it slammed down on the table with a loud bang causing Mr. Wayne to jolt awake.

"Mr. Wayne, I know statistics my be a boring subject to you, but if I can wake you at 6 this morning to come here and talk with you about it after spending most of last night finding all this information that has lulled you to sleep you could at least so me so courtesy and not sleep while I am talking." She said with a glare.

Mr. Fox couldn't help but smile at the woman in front of them. She certainly had some nerve to wake him, no one else had ever dared to do such a think. If Bruce Wayne wanted to sleep through there meeting he did. Even more amusing than the fact that she had woken him from his slumber was the fact that she had also scolded him about it. Mr. Fox thought it must just be the teacher in her.

Bruce however did not find it so amusing. "I'm sorry, I had a late night." He said sitting up straighter in his chair after stretching slightly. He did actually feel bad for sleeping while she was talking.

"Yes well…" Started Faye but she then decided that when one had nothing nice to say it was best just to not say anything at all. She instead turned to Mr. Fox and said "The reason I have not turned to the city was because they were the ones who cut the budget in the first place, the schools have next to nothing because of them. They even cut a lot of the teachers, myself included. What the schools really need is money and since Wayne Enterprises owns practically half the city it seems only logical that we should turn to it for aide."

"Are you saying you want Wayne Enterprises to make a donation to the schools?" Said Lucius.

"Yes, Mr. Fox I am." She said.

"Okay consider it done then." Said Mr. Wayne with a charming smile.

"We will send some people from the company over to assess how much funding is needed and it will be provided, if you could just talk to your boss and let them now there will be people coming we can get back to you and then figure out the details." Said Mr. Fox.

"Well she is not really my boss anymore, but I'll talk to Sophie and let her know. Also I'll leave my cell number so you can contact me." Said Faye scribbling out the work number on her business card and handing it over to Mr. Fox.

"Well Ms. Parson we will get back to you as soon as possible." Said Mr. Fox.

"Thank you, very much, Mr. Fox…Mr. Wayne." She said before leaving the offices.

"You know I don't think anyone has ever woken me up like that before." Said Bruce with a yawn.

"Yes, well she did make a good point." Said Lucius.

"You know why I'm tired, Lucius." Said Bruce darkly.

"No, Mr. Wayne I don't believe I know anything about that." Said Lucius with a wry smile. "Though you might want to apologies to her again, either way it is rude to fall asleep while someone is talking to you, especially someone so passionate about their cause."

"Yeah, just tell whoever else is coming in to speak today that I am busy and couldn't come to the meeting."

"Of course Mr. Wayne." Said Lucius

Faye had already taken the train and was now home in her tiny apartment. She had kicked off her shoes and grabbing the want ads. She new just because Mr. Wayne said he would help the school did not mean he would be able to get her job back. Nor did he really want him to help her, she loved her job and loved teaching but she could manage, she had been self sufficient since she was 18 and she wanted to keep it that way. She couldn't help but laugh at one of the want ads it read "Nurse needed to bring meals to patient" which hadn't seemed like it would be all that difficult until you were to read the fine print which stated that you would be working at Arkham and your patient calls himself 'The Joker". Faye couldn't help but wonder how many people would not read the fine print and then quite the next day.

After a good three hours or so she stopped reading the want ads. She was frustrated that she had not found anything that seemed like it was worth doing. Suddenly her phone began to ring.

"Hello?" She said answering it.

"Hi, Ms. Parson this is Bruce Wayne." Said Bruce on the other end of the line.

"Oh hi." She said not bothering to hide her unenthusiastic tone.

"I just wanted to apologies again for falling asleep as I said before I had a really late night and…" He started to say when Faye interrupted him.

"Look Mr. Wayne, all I made that appointment was so I could get money for the school which I have done, so I don't really care if you what I say bores you to the point that you simply fall asleep. What I care even less about is what exactly you were doing that caused you to have such a late night. So I accept you apology and now I must get back to looking through the want ads for a job, something you personally can not relate to." She said harshly.

"If I didn't know any better Ms. Parson I would say you dislike me to the point of almost hating me." Said Bruce.

"Yes, well I must admit I did have a little bit of prejudice about you before entering the meeting and having met you now I would have to say I tend not to look at you in a positive manner."

"Are you really going to keep holding the sleeping thing against me?"

" I always tell my students you only get one chance to make a first impression, which is why they are the most important to make. If you mess up those you have to spend the rest of you time trying to change a person's option of you which is a difficult thing to do."

"What is you option of me?" Asked Bruce curious to know why this woman distained him so much.

"You asked so I'll tell you honestly. I think you are a soiled rich boy, who cares more about what model he should date next and what car he drives rather than the city that he calls home. I see a man who had so much power and doesn't use it and that is what I hate most about you. You have the power to change so much and do so much for this city and yet you do not. I have next to nothing and I spend my time, educating the future of Gotham, those children Mr. Wayne will be the ones running this city someday and right now about half of them would rather join the mob than do things the right way. For 4 year I have fought to keep them out of a life of crime. What have you ever had to fight for in life, Mr. Wayne?" She said.

Bruce balled his fists in anger he wanted so desperately to shout at her. Tell her everything he had been through just to prove her wrong. In fact he was even out saving the city just last night, fighting to save Gotham…but then he remembered it wasn't Bruce Wayne out there saving Gotham, it was Batman. So he went for the best answer he could at the time. "More things than you would about Ms. Parson." He said hanging up before he said anything else that he would regret saying later.

Faye smiled, smugly when she heard the click from the other line. She felt slightly bad for being so harsh to him but at the same time she was a firm believe in tough love, Bruce Wayne had the money and potential to do great things, she knew that, but sometimes people with power need someone to show them they are just like everyone else. Everyone needs to contrite something positive to society in order to make it function properly, Bruce Wayne was on exception.

**And now thanks yous and what not. To all my reviewers you guys are awesome! Thanks to those of you who have read other stories of mine and are now reading this one! Keep up the good work and keep on reviewing.**

**-Captain Turlow**


	3. Masks

It had been nearly a day since Faye had talked to Mr

**I loved writing the chapter I don't really know why…Anyways thanks to all my wonderful reviewers I update yet again!**

It had been nearly a day since Faye had talked to Mr. Wayne or anyone for that matter. Her morning had been rather uneventful she had looked through the want ads again and found nothing. So she had spent the rest of her day organizing her rather messy apartment. She had spent most of her day cleaning and now it was nearly midnight and Faye could be found lying on her bed reading by the dim light coming from the lamp on her nightstand. Faye had never really slept much, she knew it probably meant that she was an insomniac but she found that you could get more papers graded the less you sleep, so to Faye her lack of sleep had never really been much of a problem to her.

What was beginning to look like a rather boring day for Faye Parson was about to become a rather extraordinary one. Faye who was just reading her novel and laying on her bed dressed in a pair was sweats and a baggy T shirt was suddenly disturbed by the sounds of gunshots and the sliding glass door leading out to her fire escape being broken. Faye froze unsure of what to do, hopefully it was just a burglar and they would take what they wanted and then leave her alone. Faye heard the sound of the intruders conversation drift into her room.

"Man, Joey I've wanted to do this for ages, let's trash the place." Said one of them as Faye heard the sound of a vase crashing.

"Shit man, are you crazy? Don't be so loud she could be asleep or somethin'" Said Joey. Faye now new who both the intruders were. The man who had just broke her favorite vase was Brian Hollander and the other was Joey Masterson both of whom were former students of hers. Both of them had flunked out of Highschool and joined to mob despite her best efforts.

"I don't care; I've always wanted to get back at that bitch. She always tried to fail us, man I hated her as a teacher. She never taught us anything useful." Said Brian now shooting the screen of the small TV in the corner of the room. However when he did this he must have hit some electrical wire causing the apartment to fall into total darkness.

"Shit." Whispered Faye louder than she had hoped to but the sudden darkness had made her nervous. She realized how grave a mistake it was when her bedroom door was kicked open violently.

"Well, well, well look what we have here." Said Brian pointing a gun directly at her. "Don't you dare try anything funny or I will kill ya got it? Joey grab her."

Joey grabbed her by the arm and forced her to stand up. "You know I always remember you telling me I ain't gonna amount to nothing in my life if I chose this path but look at me now. I'm holding your life in my hands. Not so high and mighty now eh Ms. P." said Brian waving the gun in her face.

"You know I think you remember what I said to you all those years ago because deep down you know it's true you haven't amounted to anything. You had so much potential Brian, it's your fault you let it slip away from you." Said Faye she knew it was probably not a good idea to tell the person with a gun pointed at you that they were a failure but she felt compelled to do so.

"Shut up, you dumb bitch!" Shouted Brian before hitting Faye forcefully across the face with the gun he was holding.

Batman, the dark knight of Gotham was making his way through the city. He had taken to moving around on foot due to the fact that his new tumbler was still not ready yet. Plus the fact that he had told Gordon to try and arrest him had made being inconspicuous seem more practical. As he made his way quickly down the alleyway he heard the sound of a gun shot and breaking glass. He made his way to the seen of the crime and watched waiting for the right time to strike. He knew it was time to act once he saw one of the men backhand a young woman causing her to fall to the ground.

It had all happened to fast, Faye hardly had time to register it had even happened. One minute she was being hit in the face and the next someone was helping her up.

"Are you alright?" Asked a deep voice.

"Um…yeah." Said Faye looking into the deep brown eyes behind the dark mask. It was then that she realized that she was looking directly at Batman. She also noticed that the two former students were unconscious on the floor. She was still slightly shaken for the incident.

"Do you know why they were after you?" He asked.

"Revenge, I suppose. I'm a teacher they used to be students of mine. I was hard on them because they joined the mob and I knew they could do better. I always thought something like this might happen but it never has. This is the first time." She said.

"They won't wake up for awhile but you should call the police. They can take care of it from here." Said Batman getting ready to leave but what she said next stopped him.

"Wait!" She said slight panic in her tone. "I just wanted to say…thank you…I don't know what would have happened if you didn't show up."

"You don't have to thank me." Said Batman looking at the usually strong, confident woman before him. Instead of her usual traits however he noticed something new about her, she looked almost frightened. "Are you sure you are alright."

"Yeah it's just…never mind…" She said still not looking quite herself. "Actually it's just well…I may be sort of…afraid of the dark." Said Faye thankful for once that it was in fact dark so he could not see her blushing from embarrassment. She had never told anyone about her fear of the dark nor had she ever had a reason too. One great thing about living in a city was there were always lights on somewhere.

Bruce had to stop himself for saying 'are you serious?' It seemed so strange that she would be afraid of the dark of all things. He didn't really know what to say so he opted for silence.

"Its cause when I was 10 my dad took me out on his boat and night and something went wrong and it capsized. We got separated I was floating in the ocean for 6 hours before someone found me. I just remember how lost and alone I felt and now anytime I'm in the dark I just feel that way." Said Faye as she reached under her bed and found a flash light.

"Sometime the best way to conquer your fears is to face them. I used to be afraid of bats." Bruce had not idea why he was telling her this or why he was even still standing here in her bedroom. He just felt like since she was sharing something it didn't seem like she talked about much that he should return the favor.

She laughed at his words and then said "Well, I'm fine now for real this time I have my flashlight. Also I will thank you even if you don't need it. I know what it's like to try and help people sometimes even if they don't want it. You may not need the thanks but I know it's nice to know your help is appreciated once in a while."

Batman nodded still not really sure what to say. He then tried to leave again but she stopped him once more.

"Actually one more thing, you don't have to answer it, I've just always wanted to know…"

"What?" He asked.

"Do you really kill him like they say you did, Harvey Dent?"

"What do you think?" He asked watching her look into his eyes as though searching for the answer there.

"No, I don't think you did and if you did it was probably for a good reason. Whether they realize it or not I think what your doing is really helping Gotham." After she said this he left without a word and vanished into the night.

Seeing as he did not want to have yet another night being chased around by the cops. Bruce went back to warehouse that was serving the came purpose as the cave at Wayne Manor for the time being. Alfred was also there waiting for him.

"Well you don't look ready to collapse that is always a good sign master Wayne." He said.

"It was a slow night. I did notice something strange though. Do you remember that woman I told you about Faye…Parson. I think was her name."

"The one with the stapler and who called you a soiled rich boy who cared more about cars then the city? I hope nothings happened to her she should like quite a unique woman."

"I'm not quite sure unique even beings to cover it Alfred. She hate me and yet she thanked me tonight for saving her, it was weird she was actually being nice to me."

"To you or the bat man?" Said Alfred.

"Batman…but I mean it was strange she admitted her greatest fear to a man running around in a mask."

"Well she obviously must trust you. Though it is certainly odd I do believe she would be the first woman take a liking to that side of you rather than the other. Perhaps she can relate to him more than she can Bruce Wayne."

"What how?" Said Bruce not really understanding what Alfred was saying. Sure Batman and Faye were both trying to save Gotham the way they see fit but that didn't mean she could really relate to him could it?

"What I am saying is that perhaps like Batman she too wears a mask. Hers may not be quite as obvious but she uses it to get her job done. The students need someone who is tough so that is what she gives them. Now that she's been teaching for so long she is so used to having on the mask she probably forgets she is still wearing it."

"Still doesn't really explain why she hates me so much." Muttered Bruce.

"Well she does make a good point what has Bruce Wayne really done for the city."

"Alfred…" Started Bruce before he was interrupted.

"I said Bruce Wayne…not Batman." He said.

"It's not exactly easy Alfred."

"It never is Master Wayne." He said with a smile.

Faye was now dealing with the Police arresting the two members of the mob and a rather painful bruise that was forming on the side of her face.

"Now let me get this straight these two broke into you house shot you TV and then tripped and hit the coffee table and fell all the way into the doorway of your bedroom."

"Yes." Faye lied. She thought it would be better not to mention that Batman was there at all.

"And you got the bruise when you fell down the stairs? The cop asked looking at her in disbelief.

Faye had to admit the story was rather lame but it was late and she was frazzled so it was the best she could come up with at the time. The officer still looked at her like she was crazy. Then the commissioner entered the scene. Faye found it odd that he would come all the way out here just to deal with two young men.

"Ms…Parson would you mind if I asked you a couple of questions? And I'm Commissioner Gordon" Said the Commissioner pausing only to check her name that was written on a piece of paper he was holding.

"Sure." Faye said.

"Now according to my collogue here these men tripped and fell and that is why they are unconscious?"

"Yes."

"Ms. Parson as it says here in your record you attended academy to become a cop now I've been a cop for a long time and dealt with people much better at lying then you are may I have the truth please." He said giving her a stern look.

"Batman took them out."

"Batman? Would you describe him please?"

"I don't know. You've probably seen him before. I'm tired can I get some sleep please?" Faye said.

"Alright, we are taking care of the intruders as we speak and all I need you to do is sign this statement here that says you would appear in court if the case called for it." Said Gordon handing her a paper to sign.

Once the cops and everyone had left the house she climbing into bed to try and sleep truth be told her head was spinning with thoughts. She couldn't help but remember one of the biggest lies she had told the commission that night, when they asked her to describe Batman and she said she didn't know, it was a lie. She remember ever little detail her mind was able to pick up at the time. What she remembered most was the deep brown eyes that held so much emotion and were the only gateway into the man behind the mask…for some reason she felt extremely safe around this man. What was even more puzzling was the fact that she felt like she knew him…from somewhere…she just couldn't think of anyone who fit the description….

**Well another chapter is completed. Tell me your thoughts I love to here what you think about the story! So Review!**


	4. Back to School

**Okay here is yet another chapter. I was sad that not very many people reviewed the last one ******** but life goes on. Thanks to those of you who did review as well as everyone who added this to their fav or alerts. All of you are awesome.**

Faye was sleeping rather soundly as rays of sunlight peaked through her shutters. Suddenly the sound of Help by The Beatles sounded throughout the room. Still half asleep Faye reached to grab her cell phone which sat on her nightstand.

"What Sophie?" She said with a yawn.

"Are you coming to the school today Wayne Enterprises is going to assess what the school really needs."

"Yeah sure I'll come." Faye said getting up and checking the clock, it read 9. "Not like I have anything better to do." She muttered.

"Oh don't be so bitter. After that we can go out to lunch it will be fun." Said Sophie in response to Faye's muttered comment. "They are coming at 10 all see you then."

"Alright." Said Faye hanging up the phone. She walked over to her closet and slide open the door. She shifted through the closes only to find that she hadn't done wash in awhile so most of her professional looking clothes were either dirty or in desperate need of ironing. After pushing aside some of her formal dresses she discovered a cute purple cocktail dress. She threw this on, grabbed a slightly stale bagel for breakfast, and headed over to the train.

When she boarded the train she took a seat because she knew that it took half and hour on a good day for the train to reach Gotham High. She walked as the usual mixture of homeless people in there shabby garments and business men in there smart suits pour into the train. There regarded her with strange looks or glares. Faye was confused as to why she was receiving so much attention from everyone else on the train, she had just been minding her own business what was there problem?

"That's a rather bold choice of color to be wearing." Said a woman who looked to be about Faye's age. She was dressed in professional attire and her blonde hair was pulled back in a bun. Her hand had a rather nasty looking gash on it that looked as though it would probably scar.

"Pardon?" Said Faye still confused.

"Your dress, it just that well it's purple. It's just well that the color he always wore. Well used to always wear now he's in a straight jacket." She let out a small nervous laugh before saying "He-he's not to happy about that."

"Oh, yeah well everything was else was dirty and I'm not going to stop wearing a color just because some psycho decided that he liked it as well. You don't want to give people like that the satisfaction of knowing they were able to rattle you so much you are afraid of a color. Do you work at Arkham or something?" Faye asked the woman.

"Yeah, I got a degree in criminal behavior and a Ph.D in psychology the "Joker" as he calls himself is my patient."

"And I thought working with teenagers was difficult."

"What do you do for a living?"

"Teach, well used to anyway. I was a history teacher at Gotham Highschool."

"Oh good old Gotham High I went there back in the day. Go class of '98." She said with a smile.

"No way! I graduated in '98. I'm Faye Parson maybe we had a class together or something."

"Harleen Quinzel, but I don't think I remember you."

"Yeah well it was a rather big school." Said Faye.

Faye and Harleen spent the rest of the ride talking about what they remembered from school. Faye's stop was first so after saying her goodbye's she exited and made her way to the school. When the entered the princple's office she found Sophie sitting at her desk talking to none other than Bruce Wayne himself.

"Oh my god what happened to your face!" Sophie said when she saw Faye enter the room.

"It's nothing really." Said Faye dispite her best efforts to hide the rather nasty bruise by parting her hair to the side and trying to cover it that way, her friend had still noticed.

"Nothing really, you whole cheek looks like the same color as you dress, with some black and blue mixed into it! What happened?" Said Sophie standing up.

Bruce had been standing by the door when Faye had entered was now standing next to her. He was unable to see the bruise because the side of her face that he was looking at looked completely normal. Curious as to what it looked like and since he had been able to really get a good look at it last night he said "Here let me look at it."

Faye felt his hand on her chin as he used it to turn her face towards him. "Yeah that's a pretty nasty one, you should be fine though."

"Yeah that's what I thought." Faye said. She made eye contact with him for only a second and then he looked away. She had never really noticed how dark his eyes were before.

"You still haven't told me what happened to you!" Said Sophie interrupting Faye's thoughts.

"I was attacked by some former students ones that were in the mob. They broke into my house and they were threatening me. One of the backhanded me with a gun and then Batman came…"

"What you were saved by Batman that's so cool!" Said Sophie sounding very much like a teenage girl who just found out her favorite band was going to have a concert at her school.

"I was glad someone was there to help." Said Faye.

"Well?" Said Sophie.

"Well what?" Said Faye.

"Well you saw Batman. Did he look good in his tights?" Said Sophie with a smile.

"Actually I think it was more like armor or something but where not talking about this right now Sophie." Said Faye with a slight blush. "Mr. Wayne you must excuse my colleague she can be unprofessional at times."

Truth be told Bruce didn't really mind the conversation much, in fact he found it quite amusing but before he could answer Sophie spoke.

"I bet he looked damn good in his armor or whatever you want to call it." She said with a smirk.

"Sophie!" Said Faye glaring at her friend.

"What I'm sure you where thinking it, I'm just saying it. Where talking about this when we go and get lunch." Said Sophie.

"Alright we will. Now Mr. Wayne I believe we will start with a tour of the campus and then you can decided about the donation."

Bruce was utterly amazed at how poor of a condition the school was in. The desk looked like they had been there since the school was founded in 1950. Each classroom if it was lucky had one computer that was so old it made you type y for yes and n for no. At least half the lights in the hallway were working. The books they used were old and outdated. The bathrooms were full of graffiti. Basically the school was a mess.

"Are all the schools like this?" Asked Bruce when the tour was complete.

"Yeah, ours in actually in better shape then the middle school." Said Sophie.

"And no one had even done anything to help out at all!" Said Bruce. He was appalled by the condition he knew what it was like to be out in the streets of Gotham at night and it was almost like walking down these hallways. It was bad enough that it was happen out there but children should not have to deal with it in there schools as well.

"Now do you see what I was talking about Mr. Wayne?" Said Faye.

"We have to do something." Said Bruce.

"So you're going to give us the donation then?" Asked Sophie.

"Better than that. I'm coming to make a new department in Wayne Enterprises devoted to supporting education. Ms. Parson I do believe you are still in need of a job correct?" Said Bruce.

"Yes but…" Started Faye.

"Great you can head the department. We'll hammer out the details over lunch tomorrow." Said Bruce heading for the door. "Thank you Ms. Summers for allowing me to tour you campus. Ms. Parson I will see you later." He said leaving before Faye could even get a response out. Bruce new the idea was perfect. He would be helping the city as Bruce Wayne and by allowing Ms. Parson to have a job he could keep an eye on her incase her life was under further threat.

After Bruce left Faye, stood in stunned silence for a second. He was making an entire department for education and he wanted her to head it! How does one even begin to know how to head a department? And what made him think he could just tell her they were having lunch tomorrow. What if she had other plans…not that she did mind you but still!

Sophie and her had decided to go to there favorite café a block away from the school. They had spent most of lunch talking about Faye's encounter with the masked vigilantly of Gotham.

"His brilliant really I mean, think about it by creating this symbol of Batman he has become more than just a man. A symbol can live forever and…" Said Faye

"Yeah but the man can't have much of a social life if he's running around in a mask all night." Said Sophie taking a bite of her salad

"I think he did once. He sacrificed his own life of the greater good."

"Yes well that's what superhero's do hun."

"He's not really a superhero. He's just a man Sophie, if you would have been there you would understand. When I looked into his eyes I saw so much pain…."

"Yes you've mentioned his eyes four times since we started talking about him." Said Sophie sounding bored. "You know I think you have taken you sudden attraction to deep, dark, and mysterious men to a whole new level." She said with a smirk.

"I am not just attracted to deep, dark, mysterious men."

"Right so the gothic poet you dated a few years ago was a he wasn't any of those at all."

"Okay point taken but it's just a passing fancy I mean it's not like I'll ever see him again." Said Faye realizing that was probably for the better.

"Actually it might be a good thing if he is watching over you or something…" Said Sophie looking nervous.

"What do you mean Sophie?" Asked Faye.

"I mean did you ever wonder why students haven't come after you before…" She said tentatively.

"Sophie you didn't, how much did you pay them not to come after me?" Said Faye realizing her friend's message.

"I paid them about 5,000 a year." She said.

"So your telling me that anyone who has ever held a grudge against me and who works for the mob now is allowed to attack me because you don't have the money to pay them off anymore!" Said Faye slightly panicking.

"Well the mob wasn't paying us anymore. I used to use the some of the money they loaned us for textbooks to pay for your protection. They never realized I was paying them with there own money. But now I don't have 5,000 dollars to use anymore."

"Neither do I! Sophie what am I going to do! I don't have 5,000 dollars!"

"You could ask Mr. Wayne…"

"No Sophie I'm not a charity case."

"You can't rely on Batman to be there every time! I know you have you pride an all but really I would rather have you alive with just your pride wounded rather than see you in a body bag!" Said Sophie.

"I know…I'll talk to him about it over lunch tomorrow. Maybe he can take it out of my paycheck or something." Said Faye with a sigh of frustration.

"Just be careful tonight okay?" Said Sophie.

"I'll do my best." Said Faye with a smile. They had both finished there lunch and after paying for her's Faye headed over to her favorite bookstore in the city. She figure she would just read a little there to pass the time before she had to go home.

**Well I have to stop there Calculus homework beckons. Yes I am adding Harley into the story, she's just a minor character though cause I don't know much about her so...yeah. Don't forget to review please!**


	5. On and Off Again

Faye had spent almost the rest of the day in the bookstore

**Well since all you reviewers and story alerters are so amazing I have decided to update yet again. So without further adew I give you the next chapter!**

Faye had spent almost the rest of the day in the bookstore. She had been in the business section reading about being in charge of departments since she knew next to nothing about it. If there was one think Faye hated it was being ignorant, which was why she tried to research any topic that she was unsure of. She never wanted to end up like the residents of an England town during the Middle Ages who thought the Black Plaque was being spread by cats, which resulted in the town killing on the cats and thus increasing the rat population that carried the fleas that spread the disease which killed all the townspeople. Knowledge keep people from making silly mistakes such as this.

The book store however was now closing. It was around 9'oclock and Faye realized that she would have to take the train to her house. Not something someone who could possible be attack by a revengeful mobster at any minute really wanted to do. Faye however had not choice so she began the walk to the train station a block away. However as Faye was walking arms wrapped around herself to fight the cold since she did not think to bring a jacket, she had the creeping suspicion that she was being followed. Having lived in Gotham since she was a child Faye knew that if it felt like someone was following you it usually meant someone actually was. She continued to wake at her normal pace so she won't let whoever was falling her know that she knew they were there. She couldn't go home now whoever it was would just follow her and kill her there, no it was better to stay out in the open, or go somewhere else, somewhere safe.

She called Sophie hoping the she might be home. "Hi this is Sophie and Jackson where not here right now so just leave a message."

"Damn it." Faye cursed as she hung up. Who else did she know that lived in the middle of the city or even had a car to come a pick her up or something. Thinking about cars made her come to only one conclusion. She looked through her received calls list on her cell and found the number she was looking for.

"Hi, this is Bruce I'm not here right now or I'm just not picking up the phone leave a message after the tone."

"Hi…uh Mr. Wayne this is Faye Parson the history teacher from Gotham High you feel asleep during my meeting and um…if you are there and listening could you please pick up the phone…I think I'm being followed and…" Faye began to say trying very hard to sound calm.

"What seems to be the problem Ms. Parson?" Said a voice she did not recognize.

"I'm sorry who is this?" She asked

"Alfred Pennyworth I am Mr. Wayne's butler. Mr. Wayne is unable at the movement but this sound urgent so how may I be of assistance."

"Um, I think someone is following me so I need to place to lie low for awhile…until morning preferably." She said walking faster because she thought she heard her pursuer speeding up. She also say out of the corner of her eye a sliver car with dark windows was now driving slowly beside her.

"Where are you exactly?"

"Um I don't know, I'm by a really big building I thinks it's a hotel…"

"Well go into the hotel and I get a room there."

"God sorry that make sense I just wasn't thinking clearly." Said Faye crossing the street quickly and running over to the hotel. The car stopped for a moment to let the man who had be tailing her inside and then drove away. Faye had a feeling that it would be back in a few minutes to see if she had left. The hotel she as in was rather fancy and full of people in suits. The line at the front desk was huge. She opened up her purse to find that in her wallet she had 5 dollars and a debt card with 20 on it. By the time she reached the front desk it was nearly an hour.

"I don't suppose I can get a room for 25 can I?" She said just wasting time in hope that the sliver car would stop driving back and forth past the hotel.

The woman at the desk let to a laugh before saying. "Uh no. Plus we're booked anyway there is a medical convention in town."

"Right thanks anyway." Said Faye heading over to a chair by the bar in the lobby. She sat down not really sure what to do.

Wait a second I can just call the police. She thought to herself. Dialing the number she waited until someone picked up.

"Gotham City Police what is your situation." Said a rather bored sounding man.

"Um, I at a hotel and I think I'm being followed this car keeps driving by and…"

"Are you in any actually danger, ma'm or just suspicious that this car might be a threat?"

"Suspicious but you don't understand…"

"Ma'm the Gotham City Police department does not deal with these sort of problems now there are other people trying to call this line who might be in actual danger Ma'm so thank you for calling the Gotham City Police department have a nice evening." The man said before hanging up.

"Well thanks for nothing!" Shouted Faye closing her phone in a rather violent fashion. Everyone else in the lobby turned and looked at her for a moment and then went back to whatever it was there were doing.

Faye tried calling Sophie again and she left a message. She then tried Bruce Wayne again and Alfred picked up the phone again.

"Is everything alright Ms. Parson?" He asked.

"No actually it's not. You know my day was going so well until I found out that the mob was after me, and now there are driving back in forth in front of the hotel which I can't get a room at because I only have 25 dollars with me and it's booked anyway."

"Its it a sliver car?" Asked Alfred

"How do you know?"

"Because, I can see it from the window of Mr. Wayne's Penthouse Suite. Why don't I just come down and get you. I am sure Mr. Wayne will not mind if you stay for the night."

"Oh, no it's alright I don't want to intrude." Said Faye.

"It's better than ending up in the papers tomorrow in the obituary section."

"Point taken." Said Faye.

"Alright then. I'll come down and find you." Said Alfred.

Faye waited in the lobby until Alfred would arrive. She had wondered how he would be able to tell it was her but he had managed to find her without difficulty. Bruce had told him a lot about her, which had surprised him because Bruce never really talked about any woman at all since Rachel.

The stood in silence as the private elevator headed to Mr. Wayne's penthouse suite. Faye was not surprised to find that when the elevator doors opened she as standing in a living room space as big as her whole apartment. There was small kitchen on the fair side of the room, a couch in the middle facing a rather large plasma tv, on the opposite side of the room there was a king sized bed. Alfred showed her were the bathroom was and told her she could take a shower and freshen up if she needed to. Faye felt strange using someone else's shower, especially someone she did not know well at all, but she felt rather less than fresh since she hadn't taken a shower since last night after the police had left her house. So given the circumstances she took Alfred up on his offer. When she returned she noticed her had set up the couch bed for her.

"You didn't have to do that I could have done it myself." She said.

"Just doing my job. If you need anything further Ms. Parson I am in the room just behind that door." He said pointing to one next to the bathroom. Faye noticed that this door must have lead to the master bedroom she found it odd that Mr. Wayne would have given it to his butler.

"I don't think I will thanks anyway though." She said.

"Right then, it's rather late and I'm an old man so if you are in no need of further assistance, I shall retire. Master Wayne already knows you are staying here and should probably come home between the hours of 2-4 in the morning and most likely just go right to sleep so he should not disturb you much. Goodnight Ms. Parson." He said flipping of the light switch.

"Actually could you leave the light on, I think I may stay up a bit longer before I go to sleep." Faye said even though she was actually very tired she knew she wouldn't be able sleep without the light on. She then crawled into bed and for once in her life she fell asleep almost instantly.

At some time around three in the morning Bruce tiredly dragged himself into the room. He let out a groan of annoyance a shielded his eyes from the bright lights.

"Who left the lights on…" He mumbled flipping the switch and plunging the room into darkness once more. He then flopped down onto his bed in hopes of getting a few hours sleep before having to get up for work. He had completely forgotten the Faye was even in the room, luckily he had changed out of his batman attire back at the warehouse and was now wearing just a normal work suit. As he lay in bed he realized just how uncomfortable wearing a suit to bed was. Even though he was exhausted he dragged himself out of bed once more to shower and change into a pair of boxers before crawling into bed once more. He was just about ready to fall asleep when suddenly the lights flipped on again.

Shielding his eyes once more he said "What the hell Alfred! Turn the lights off!"

"I'm not Alfred and I need them on." Said Faye. She had always been a rather light sleeper and the minute Bruce had turned off the lights she had woken up. After laying in the dark for awhile she realized that she couldn't sleep without the lights on.

"Why? Your just going to sleep, it will be dark when you close your eyes. And what are you even doing in my room? Or is this just some annoying dream I'm having." Asked Bruce as he got up walked towards her to turn off the lights again.

"I certainly hope your not having dreams about me, if you believe any of Freud's theories on dreams you would understand why but no I'm here because Alfred let me in didn't he tell you!" She said turning the lights back on. Bruce then remember that Alfred had in fact called him to tell him that Faye would be staying here and that he mob was after her. It were times like these that he wished he wasn't so tired and actually remembered stuff like then when he got home, so he wouldn't have to find himself standing in front a woman he hardly knew in nothing but a pair of boxers. He flipped the switch of the lights off again only to have them flipped on again a second later by Faye.

"Hey do you mind! I'm a little underdressed at the moment." He said flipping the lights back off.

"Maybe you should have thought of that earlier and put some clothes than just your boxers before you came back into the room!" She said flipping the lights back on.

"God! It's like three in the morning and I'm tired and want so sleep so the lights stay off!" He said turning the lights off.

"Well maybe you should have thought about that before staying up so late and partying or whatever it is you do with your time!" She said turning the lights back on.

Bruce clenched his hands into fists by his sides. He didn't want to keep yelling back and forth with her at three in the morning. He took a deep breath and then let it out in an attempt to calm down. He then reached for the light switch and turned the lights of once again. "Alright look, yes the lights are off and it's dark now but you are perfectly safe and you're not alone, so everything should be fine right?"

"How did you…" Said Faye looking at Bruce her eye's wide with shock.

"Know that you are afraid of the dark? It was just a guess. I mean you were so insistent about having the lights on." He said with a shrug pretending like it was nothing. He was really hoping she wouldn't press the matter he had slipped up. Batman knew Faye Parson was afraid of the dark, Bruce Wayne however did not.

"My best friend doesn't even know." She said still shocked.

"Yeah well she hasn't been trying to fall asleep when you keep turning the lights on has she?" He said walking back over to his bed. Just as he went under the covers again the lights flicked on.

"Can you please at least just try one night without the light on?" He asked. The lights then flicked back off.

"Alright I will, I suppose I should take the advise someone once told me. Sometime the best way to conquer your fears is to face them." She said climbing back into bed as well.

Bruce couldn't help but smile at her comment, despite how infuriating she was he was surprised at how much she had remember about what Batman had said to her.

**Well you know what to do. Tell me what you think, questions, comments, concerns anything really. Thanks for reading even more of my story.**

**Captain Turlow**


	6. A Dark Knight

**More Batman in this chapter hooray! Thanks to all the people who review I love hearing what you guys think of the story. I'll try to update again tomorrow but I can't make any promises, if not the next day for sure. I am inspired even more now because I saw Dark Knight again and it is still as amazing as the last couple of time I have seen it! Well that's all for now enjoy the chapter.**

The next morning Faye woke up and had that momentary sense of panic that always occurs when one wakes up in a place that do not recognize. However once she saw Bruce Wayne still asleep in the bed on the other side of the room, she remembered why she was here. Getting up and trying to smooth out her sleep wrinkled purple dress she went over to her phone. She had 17 missed called all of which were from Sophie. She also noticed that according to the time it was nearly noon, she couldn't believe she had actually sleep in that late, or the fact the Mr. Wayne was still asleep.

Her phone began to ring and she answered it quickly.

"Where the hell are you? Are you okay?" Said frantic sounding Sophie.

"I'm fine, the mob was following me and I'm staying at Mr. Wayne's penthouse."

"Why'd you go there I thought you despise the man?"

"Well let's see, the police hung up on me and my friend wouldn't answer the door. Plus this place is like a fortress and it was right across the street when I was looking for a place to go."

"I'm sorry Faye, you know how Jackson needs to unplug the phone when he's writing he can't have any distractions. Didn't you have anyone else you could have called?"

"I didn't know who I could trust out of my old work colleagues, plus you know the last four years of my life have been devoted to that job. The students needed someone who they could call whenever they needed help, I took on the role of being that person. I was the one who would bail them out of jail at four in the morning, or the person's house they could stay at when there father was drunk and trying to beat them…"

"Faye, you think too much about other people sometimes. What about you, you need to have a life sometimes." Said Sophie.

"Yes, well having a life is just so over rated." Faye said sarcastically.

"Yeah, well if you're okay then I suppose that's a start. Hey do you need a place to stay tonight?"

"No, I'll just stay at my place. I just won't try to walk home in the dark this time."

"Okay just be careful, I worry about you sometimes." Said Sophie.

While Faye was talking on the phone she hadn't even noticed that Bruce was no longer asleep. He had in fact gotten up and went over to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. When Faye said goodbye to Sophie he asked "Sophie knows you okay now?"

Faye was slightly startled by his voice, she had not even heard him walk over there. "Jesus! Are you trying to give me a heart attack! I didn't even hear you get up what are you some kind of ninja or something?"

"No, not quite." Said Bruce with a laugh.

"Did either of you know what was happening with the lights last night?" Said Alfred coming up the elevator carrying a breakfast tray.

"No idea, maybe you should talk to maintenance about it." Said Bruce taking a sip of his coffee.

"Perhaps I should." Said Alfred placing the tray down on the counter. "If you need anything I will be running errands around town, Master Wayne."

"Alfred do you think you could ask Mr. Fox how his project is going?"

"I already have sir, he said it should be ready by the end of the week." Said Alfred before going back down the elevator.

"Well I should be going. Thank you Mr. Wayne for you hospitality." Said Faye grabbing her purse and phone.

"You might as well just stay. I know I said we would be discussing the details of my proposition over lunch but I think brunch would be just as adequate a meal to discuss it over." Said Bruce gesturing to the tray Alfred had left.

"Alright." Said Faye putting her purse down and sitting on one of the bar stools in the kitchen. Even though this was supposed to be a professional meeting it felt rather unprofessional. Faye had not looked at herself in the mirror this morning but she could tell her hair was messy from sleep and most of the make up on one of her eyes was rubbed off. She noticed Bruce had at least decided at some point in the night to put on a pair of sweatpants and a plain white tee shirt. She could already tell it was going to be a rather odd business meeting.

"Great, so I've already talked to Mr. Fox about it, he's setting up and office as we speak."

"I can't run a department I don't know a thing about stuff like that." Said Faye.

"Fancy that neither do I. It's simple really you sign papers that then go to me to sign and then money goes to the schools. Then you just have to speak at parties and events to get other wealthy people to support your goals. Mr. Fox can help you if you need it."

"It sound's to me like I would be a figure head. The whole reason I became a teacher was to help people, Mr. Wayne, I would like to be at a job that actually allows me to do that."

"What if you used you office as a tutoring facility, we could hire some other staff members to be there for students in need of help. Know you'd still have to do the other stuff I said earlier but at least you would get to help people." Said Bruce.

"Are you sure you would want a bunch of intercity kids walking around Wayne tower?"

"I don't mind it."

"Mr. Wayne you being extremely generous and not that I don't appreciate it. I'm just a little confused why the sudden change of heart?"

"Well I talked to Mr. Fox about my finances and it turns out I have enough money to still car about my fancy cars and help out the city." He said with a smirk.

"Alright then, I guess I'll take the job." Said Faye.

"Wonderful you start tomorrow." Said Bruce.

After finished one of the bagels that was on the breakfast tray, Faye thanked Mr. Wayne and left to return home. She spend the rest of the day doing laundry and preparing herself for what was in store tomorrow. She couldn't believe how much Mr. Wayne was doing for the schools and for her. She was also looking up the numbers of other teachers in the district who were without jobs, they would be perfect candidates for being hired as tutors. She now was laying on her sofa reading a book, at 11 in the evening she usually would watch the news but seeing as her TV was sporting a few bullet holes it was not functioning properly. She was on edge, she knew that at any minute someone could try and break into her house again. She stopped her reading for a moment to look out her broken sliding glass door, she would have to get that fixed sometime. While she was thinking about what day she would find someone to fix the window she noticed a dark figure move on her fire escape. Grabbing the baseball bat that was by her under her couch she went out onto the fire escape.

"Alight who's out there? Don't try and hide a saw you." She said looking around.

Batman had been lurking in the shadows of her fire escape watching over her. He came out of the darkness grabbing the bat as she tried to swing it at him. "You shouldn't have done that, if someone was out here with a gun they would have shot you."

" I'd rather go down with a fight then have then shot me while I sat reading." Faye said.

"I can understand that, but right now Gotham needs you alive. What you are going to be doing will just be further proof that there are still people in Gotham who believe in good."

"Have you be following me or something. Is that how you know I agreed to help Mr. Wayne?"

"No, but I have my connection in this city."

"So you do have a life outside of Batman."

"The illusion of one. You should get some rest you have a lot to do tomorrow."

"I'm an insomniac I don't sleep much, I'll stay out here for awhile, it's nice to have someone else to talk to." Faye said looking out at the view of the city from her fire escape.

"You should go back inside it is not safe for you out here."

"Aren't I safer being around you, plus it's my fire escape I can stand here all night if I wanted to. That's the beauty of choice."

"But with every choice there are consequences."

"Yes, well you of all people probably understand that. Often times the right choice is never the easy one…" Faye stopped when she heard the phone ring inside the house. "I'd better answer that it's probably Sophie checking up on me." She said going back inside.

"Hello?"

"Hey Faye, it's Sophie is everything alright over there?"

"Yeah everything's fine." Said Faye.

"Are you sure you don't want to come over to my house. I don't think it's safe for you there."

"Trust me Sophie I'm more than safe, a Dark Knight is watching over me."

"You feel more than safe because one man in a mask is at your house then you did at the fortress that is Bruce Wayne's penthouse."

"Maybe, I'm not really sure." Said Faye thinking about the question.

"Alright well I'll let you go then." Said Sophie.

"Yeah bye Sophie, thanks for checking up on me." Faye said hanging up the phone. She grabbed a jacket before heading back outside onto the fire escape. She looked around for a moment noticing Batman was not longer there, but something told her even if she didn't see him, he still was somewhere nearby. Batman only let you see him when he wanted you too if not he was invisible. Faye decided to since she had grabbed a jacket and was already out there she might as well sit in her patio chair and enjoy the view of Gotham at night. Even though at night this was when some of Gotham's most sinister citizens thrived there was something so beautiful about the tall building where speckles of lights shown from random room on different floors, where janitors and late working businessmen work in solitude. There was what was always so strange about the city you could be surrounded by millions of people and still feel completely alone. And with these thought swirling in her head Faye drifted off to sleep before she even realized it.

Faye had of course been correct in thinking that Batman was still nearby. He had been watching from the fire escape only one floor above her. He had been making sure no one from the mob would try to do anything to harm her. The streets had been rather quite tonight, mobster and other common criminal were a rarity tonight. This had seemed strange to him and it could only mean that the mob had started having there meetings at night again, which meant they did not fear him like they had a year ago, before the Joker had made his appearance in Gotham. But the Joker was safely locked away in Arkham now, and even night he had gone to make sure security was still just a tight.

He noticed now by her slumped position in the chair that Faye must have fallen asleep. Landing quietly onto her fire escape her moved towards her. He knew it would not be wise just to leave her out on the fire escape. He gently picked her up pausing when she began to stir. She mumbled something incoherent and then feel back into a deep sleep. He placed her on her bed and then left knowing she would be safe for tonight.

**Now comes the part where you tell me what you think. So review please.**

**Captain Turlow**


	7. Applied Sciences

Faye was nervous about who her first day working at Wayne Enterprises would be

**Well I was right in my prediction that I would update tomorrow. I actually tried really hard to look over this chapter. I know I have a tendency to make a lot of typos, the grammar fairy hates me. Anyways another chapter for my stupendous reviewers and alerters **

Faye was nervous about how her first day working at Wayne Enterprises would be. She was wearing her favorite high heel shoes as well as a pair of black slacks and a white blouse. Her dark hair was pulled back in its usual high pony tail because the bruise on the side of her face was also completely invisible by now. She said hello to the guard as he let her through security and made her way up to the 14th floor where the guard had said her new office would be. Mr. Fox was waiting for her when she arrived.

"Good morning Ms. Parson." He said with a kind smile.

"Good morning Mr. Fox." She said returning his smile. She looked around the rather large office space. To the left there was a door that had a plaque on it that read Faye Parson. In the area around her private office there were tables in the center and on the right wall there were desks with computers, on the left bookshelves full of various textbooks. It reminded her very much of a class room.

"This area would be where the tutoring would take place." Said Mr. Fox. "That there is you office."

"I know it has my name on it." Faye said with a laugh.

"Yes, yes it does. Today there really is nothing you have to do so you can just familiar yourself with the office. To access the computer you ID is your name and the Password is your birthday until you decided to change it. If you need anything just give me a call. On the phones to make an inter office call you press 6 and then dial the extension number mine is 1-2-3-4."

"Thanks, Mr. Fox." Faye said to him as he left. She went into her office and did the first thing anyone ever did when in a office. She tested out her new chair; it was a black leather computer chair with a high back that reclined slightly. It passed her test because it was rather comfortable. She then logged onto her computer.

"Would you like to change your password." Faye read aloud what appeared on the screen. She thought for a moment. Most people when choosing a password would pick something random like the name of there first boyfriend or their pet cat. Faye thought those were far too boring plus she had never had any pets except Peter the goldfish who died the day she had bought him. She thought of a password but felt rather silly using it but she felt it was one she would certainly remember, batman, so she entered it in as her new password.

She then began mucking around with the random setting on her computer changing the desktop, checking her email, and other things of that nature. Once she was done with this she was rather bored. She noticed all the different files that were listed under programs and she began to look at them. Most of them were just links to other departments in Wayne Enterprises. One in particular caught her attention, archives. So she opened the file and began to read about the history of some of Wayne Enterprises departments. She started with A's and decided to work her way down, however when she got to a department labeled Applied Sciences, it asked her for a password to access the information. She tried her username and password but it denied her access. She then picked up the phone and dialed Mr. Fox.

"What is the problem Ms. Parson?"

"I was just wondering, I was looking through the achieves on my computer and it denied me access to a department called Applied Sciences do you know why that is?"

" Well Applied Sciences is no longer a department here at Wayne Enterprise, no one knows how to access it anymore."

"Oh, well thanks anyway." Said Faye hanging up the phone. She continued to stare at the login screen…something had must have once gone on a Wayne Enterprises that they didn't want anyone to know about.

Bruce Wayne had just come into work. He first went to go and talk to Lucius about how things where going.

"Well Mr. Wayne, the numbers are all good. Ms. Parson seems to like her office. I must warn you though Mr. Wayne, she found Applied Sciences."

"Already, I was expecting her to take at least a week."

"You knew, she'd find it didn't you?"

"Come on Lucius she's a history teacher don't you think she would be naturally drawn to the word archives? That's why I put the password on it."

"You know Mr. Wayne she may only be a history teacher and not a math teacher but the girl is bright enough to put 2 and 2 together and realize it equals four."

"She won't find out Lucius."

"I wouldn't count on it Mr. Wayne. Just don't get careless?"

"I'm not being careless." Said Bruce heading for the elevator.

"Where are you going?"

"To welcome our new staff member." He said pushing the number 14 heading down to Ms. Parson's office.

When he got to her office he found her spinning around in circles in her computer chair.

"You know if you push off really hard with your legs you can go faster." He said coming into her office.

Faye nearly fell out of her chair in an attempt to stop it from spinning. Mr. Wayne had once again caught her off guard. Faye could have sworn the man moved without making a sound.

"Really? And do you know that from experience of observation." She said putting her hand to her forehead, spinning around had not been such a good idea for now even though she had stopped the room hadn't.

"A little bit of both."

"I would just like to let you know, I wouldn't usually conduct myself at work in such a manner." Said Faye.

"I would assume so, but since you really had nothing to do today. I'll let it slide." Said Bruce with a smile. "So I take it you didn't have any visits from the mob last night."

"No, someone was making sure I was safe last night." Said Faye.

"And what are you going to do tonight?"

"Hope he shows up again." Said Faye.

"Well if you ever need a place to stay, you can always go back to the penthouse, I can't guarantee I will be there but Alfred will let you in."

"I don't think it would be a good idea for me to be seen leaving your penthouse every morning Mr. Wayne." Said Faye noticing an email from Sophie pop up on the screen. It read hey do you want to go out to lunch at noon today? Faye looked at the clock and noticed it was nearly noon. "Do I get a lunch break?"

"Yes, and technically you can go home now if you want there really is no reason for you to be here if you've already organized your office."

"Alright, I think I'm going home for the day."

"Okay, tomorrow you should actually have something to do." He said.

Faye left Wayne Enterprises and headed over to the restaurant Sophie and she always ate lunch at. Sophie was already there waiting for her.

"So how was your first day of work?" She asked when Faye sat at the table.

"It wasn't really much of one I just got settled into my office. How was the first day of school?"

"Ugh, hell as always. I already had to suspend two students for trying to make drug deals and I'm only on lunch break so the days not over yet."

"Really I have all the free time in the world and nothing to do with it." Said Faye looking around the restaurant for a waiter to ask for a glass or water. While she was looking around she noticed a familiar blonde woman, the same woman she had meet on the train a few days ago. "Oh Sophie do you see that woman over there, the blonde one, she's the psychologist for The Joker she graduated the same year as us."

"Really well maybe she would like to join us. After all it is rather boring sitting by oneself."

"Okay, I will." Said Faye getting up from her table to go and talk with Harleen.

"Hey, Harleen it's Faye Parson the woman you met on the train. My and my friend Sophie were wondering if you might like to sit with us for lunch today."

"Oh yeah, I remember you. Sure it would be nice to have someone else to talk to other than The Joker."

"Oo I love your lipstick, bold color but it works for you." Said Sophie when Harleen came to join the table. Harleen was actually wearing a rather dark red color lipstick.

"Thanks." She said sitting down. They all chatted for awhile until there food came.

"So you are analyzing The Joker?" Sophie asked. "Do you think you could analyze my friend here she has an obsession with Batman."

"Hey! It is not an obsession. He intrigues me and he been kind enough to watch over me." Faye said defensively.

"You've met him then?" Said Harleen.

"Sort of the first time he just beat up some people who were attacking me and the second time he just was on my fire escape." Faye said.

The girls spend the rest of there lunch talking about Batman, and work. Naturally everyone was curious to hear about Harleen's job. After lunch Faye went home. She called a window maker to see about fixing the glass. She had also bought a really cheap, crappy tv off her neighbor and was know watching the 11'00 news. Nothing really interesting was happening in Gotham and she supposed that was a good thing. However she heard police sirens off in the distance.

Batman was running from the cops yet again. This had been going of for almost a year now, but it was what Gotham needed. He did however wish sometimes that Gordon wouldn't do such a good job at least when he was pursuing him. He also hated how well the police had learned to train there dogs. He was near Faye's neighborhood and thought it would be wise to check on her. Climbing the fire escape yet again her looked in on her while she sat watching TV. She then turned off the TV and headed over to her fire escape.

Faye had stopped watching the news because they were talking about the ongoing search for Batman. She went out on to her fire escape.

"Are you there?" She asked into the shadows, hoping that by some odd chance he might be.

He was debating on whether or not to show himself. How did she know he was here? Because you came at this time last time, he reasoned with himself.

"Yes, I'm here." He said stepping out of the shadows.

"What happened to you arm?" She asked noticing the rather nasty bite one of the police dogs had given him.

"It's fine."

"You should at least put some antiseptic on it. You don't want it to get infected. I think I have a first aide kit…" She said walking back into her apartment. Batman watched as she began rummaging through a kitchen cabinet. "Found it." She said returning with the kit.

Batman thought again just to tell her it was fine and he really didn't need it but she had went through all that trouble to find it so he let her put some on the area. She seemed to be deep in thought while she did it.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked.

"Just that everyone makes you seem like this immortal unstoppable force. But underneath the symbol your just a man, you feel pain and you have limits. It must be hard trying always be the symbol."

"Batman doesn't have limits." He said responding in the say way he did when Alfred had said something similar to what Faye had just told him.

"Yes but whoever is hiding behind that mask does. It's just something to think about…" Said Faye taking the first aide kit back into the house. Just as she had expected when she returned Batman was nowhere to be found.

**Well there you have it, 5 pages on word worth of story. Don't forget to keep on reviewing it lets me know what you think of the story.**


	8. Revelations and Choices

**So I've decided that since I already have this chapter written I would post it today. Since I can't update tomorrow. Anywho here it is. Thanks to all the wonderful reviews I received! **

Bruce had just exited the elevator of the 14th floor. It was around 7'00 and tonight was the night that Wayne Enterprises was officially announcing the new Education Branch. It was a rather prestigious party and all of Gotham Elite would be there. When he walked into the tutoring area he saw Faye dressed in a strapless midnight blue gown sitting on the floor surrounded by various textbooks.

"I thought I told you after five you had the night off?" He said. Faye had only been working at Wayne Enterprises for about a week now and ever night he had to tell her to go home at least four times before she actually did.

"I know I just had to look up who the emperor of china was during the 12th century, a student asked me and I couldn't remember, it would have bothered me all night…" She said flipping through a book.

"Well the event starts at 8. I thought you would have liked the two hours to get ready."

"Not all women take two hours to get ready Mr. Wayne."

"Faye, go home. You spend enough time in the room as it is."

"People never stop learning so why should I ever stop teaching? Plus I like being able to answer all of the student's questions."

Bruce was about to respond to her comment when his cell phone rang. Looking down at the number he recognized it to be Arkham.

"Faye how comfortable would you be speaking at that party tonight?" He asked

"No very, why? What's happened?"

"Nothing much, just some work stuff, I think I can make it back in time I just might be a little late."

"You better be just a little late, I don't want to go to this party as is and I definitely don't want to make a speech at it."

When she entered the ballroom of the hotel where the party was being held she realized that everyone looked rather stuck up and had some sort of escort. She had chosen to come alone.

"You look lovely tonight Ms. Parson." Said Alfred, who was holding a tray of champagne.

"Thank you, Alfred. Is Mr. Wayne here yet?"

"No I do not believe he is, but then again he always arrives late to his own events apparently it's considered fashionable."

"Not too late I hope, he's supposed to be making a speech tonight in about an hour and he said if doesn't get back in time I have to cover for him."

"He should be here soon, Ms. Parson."

"Hopefully. I think I'm going to talk with Lucius now." Faye said spotting Lucius in the crowd of people.

"Hello, Mr. Parson." Said Lucius.

"Hi, Lucius." She said.

"You look nervous, Ms. Parson is everything alright?"

"Well I look nervous because I am. Mr. Wayne isn't here yet and if he doesn't show in 45 minutes I have to give a speech in front of all these people who are already giving me glares because I bought me dress at a department store instead of from some designer. Not that I would want to I'll already be eating Top Raman for every meal of at least two weeks to pay off this dress." Said Faye fingering the long midnight blue evening gown.

"I'm sure that would be fully capable of delivering a fine speech, Ms. Parson and the gown looks lovely, it doesn't matter where you bought it from."

"Thanks Lucius. I think I'll just and get some air for awhile." Faye said. She made her way over to the balcony but someone older gentlemen stopped her by asking "Excuse me young lady I don't believe I've seen you here before, who is your escort."

"Well, I'm Faye Parson, head of the Education department here at Wayne Enterprises and I'm my own escort for the evening."

"Oh, yes you used to be a school teacher. Don't you remember Fredrick? Harry had her as a teacher until we transferred him to a private school." Said the woman next to him. Faye assumed she must be his wife.

"Ah, yes I think I remember…now, you taught history correct?"

"Yes I did." Said Faye. "I'm sorry though I don't remember your names."

"I'm Silva and this is my husband Fredrick, we're the Jamison family." Said Silva.

Faye and the Jamison family spend the next half hour talking. They were kind enough to introduce Faye to many of the people at the party.

"Ms. Parson, we need you to make the speech, tonight." Said Lucius coming over to talk to her. "Mr. Wayne had some urgent business to attend to."

"Oh course he did." Said Faye plastering on a fake smile in an attempt to hide just how furious she was. Hadn't she told Mr. Wayne countless time that she really did not want to have to make the speech tonight? Knowing that whether she wanted to or not she was going to have to give the speech, she took a deep breath and headed over to the podium that had been set up for this occasion.

"Hello, everyone, I'm Faye Parson head of the education department at Wayne Enterprises. Now I am afraid Mr. Wayne is running a little late so he has asked me to tell you about the new department. Now here in Gotham we are constantly thinking about what our future will hold. We do our best to fight against crime, we try to make the streets of Gotham a safer place, and in this last year we have made progress. But no matter how much progress we make eventually we will not be here to save Gotham anymore. When that days comes who will be there to preserve the city we have so strongly fought to save? I will tell you, it is our children the next generation. But how can we expect these young people to take upon such an endeavor if we are not able to give them a proper education. In our schools today class sizes are outrageous and the condition of our public education system is not where even close to adequate. Which is why, Wayne Enterprises devoted a branch to Education. This branch offers funding to our schools as well as free tutoring programs. If we educate and care about those who will make up the future of Gotham we may finally see the brighter future we have all hoped for." Said Faye smiling as everyone applauded, she was just very happy it was all over.

Bruce had entered the party about halfway through Faye's speech. She was actually doing a very good job. Alfred came over to him "When Mr. Fox asked her to do the speech she looked about ready to kill someone."

"That someone wouldn't by any chance be me would it Alfred?"

"I would image it was Master Wayne. Is everything under control?"

"For the moment, yes. But he's going to figure out a way soon Alfred, Arkham won't hold him forever." Said Bruce clapping along with everyone else when Faye was finished. Bruce watched as Faye shook some people's hands until finally making her way over to the outside balcony.

"That was a good speech." He said once outside as well.

"I forgot to mention some of the things I wanted to, you know I was so close to making some flash card because I just knew you were going to be more than 'a little late'."

"I told you something came up."

"I know, I just really didn't want to do that speech. What did you have to do that was so important?"

"Just something with the company."

She seemed to scrutinize him for a second before saying. "I think you're bleeding." She was referring to the fact that his dark blue suit had a red splotch appearing on his upper arm.

Bruce knowing that the dog bite he had stitched a week ago must have torn he quickly covered it before saying "It's fine, it's nothing."

Faye noticed that he had taken a step away from her. "What happened? It must have been pretty bad to soak through a suit."

"I got it when I was spelunking. The stitches must have torn." He said causally.

"Spelunking?" Said Faye not sounding at all convinced.

"Yeah you know, exploring caves."

"I know what spelunking is, Mr. Wayne. Now if you'll excuse me I think I'm going to go home before it starts getting too late and I get attacked by mobsters." Faye said before turning a leaving. She knew Mr. Wayne was lying she just couldn't figure out why.

As she sat on the train she continued to think about Mr. Wayne's odd behavior. She couldn't help but get the feeling that he was in fact hiding something. The thoughts of her discovery of Applied Sciences, Mr. Wayne's ability appear almost out of nowhere, the conversations that she had overheard from Mr. Wayne and Mr. Fox the ones that made no sense to anyone but both members of the conversation seemed to know exactly what they were talking about, and about the injury on Mr. Wayne's arm that he said he had received when he was spelunking. He had covered it up so quickly it was almost like he didn't want her to see it. She tired to picture it from the brief glance she had seen of it, it hadn't have really looked like a cut but more like an animal bite of some sort…

She felt as though her heart had stopped beating for a moment. The animal bite had looked…like a dog bite. No it just wasn't possible, maybe he was involved in some sort of shady business, like illegal drug deals and that is why he is never home at odd hours of the evening maybe tonight the police almost caught him and that's why he had a dog bite on his arm Faye thought to herself. However she felt that she knew he wasn't…

"Hey lady, are you alright? You're looking mighty pale." Said scruffy looking homeless man interrupting her thoughts.

Faye imagined that anyone would in fact look rather pale if they had just come to the rather shocking conclusion that their boss was someone who by day was a billionaire playboy and by night was the caped crusader that had been on her fire escape for the past week or so.

"Yes, I'm fine." She told the man even through she was feeling extremely light headed at this point. That was how he knew she was afraid of the dark. That was why he could be so silent when he moved. That was what Applied Sciences must have been funding. That was why he didn't want her to his arm, because she had already seen it before. Because Bruce Wayne was Batman! She felt the train stop and knew this was her stop. She got up on shaky legs her mind still reeling from the sudden realization.

She walked home in a daze her feet taking her up to her apartment sooner than she had time to really realize it. When she entered her apartment she plopped down onto the couch. She was contemplating what exactly she was supposed to do know. After all what does one do when they find out such information. Even more frightening than that however is the thought of what happens when Bruce finds out that she knows his secret. Perhaps it was safest just to pretend she didn't know, plus she had only made an educated guess, she wasn't 100 sure that he was Batman and until she was that sure she was going to go about her life like she had before tonight.

She looked over at the clock it was almost 11, which meant she should probably go out on the fire escape and see if Batman was there like she did every night.

"Are you there?" She asked into the shadows but no reply came. She waited for awhile and was about to go back inside when she heard his voice.

"Are you alright? You look pale." He said.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I had to do this speech in front of a lot of people today and I suppose the nervousness is hitting me as an after effect."

"With how passionate you are about education I am sure it carried over into the speech."

"So, The Joker still locked away safely in Arkham." Faye asked. Batman had told her he went to check on the security there every night a few nights ago when he arrive later than usual.

"Yes, but he won't be forever. He will find a way out soon."

"How soon?"

"Soon. A few days if we're lucky."

"Shouldn't you be over there instead of here? Not that I don't want you here or anything it's just isn't something like more important."

"If I don't stay here someone might try and kill you and if I go and guard The Joker he still might get out and there are more cops there trying to arrest me. Whatever choice I make I would end up losing."

"But trying to stop the Joker could save more lives than just mine."

"Maybe but I've chosen to save someone who could save the lives of many before and it just ended up with more deaths and someone very close to me having to lose her life as well."

"The Assistant DA, Rachel the one who died in the explosion the same night Harvey Dent was rescued." Faye said remembering that night she had watched the event on the evening news.

"Yes, Rachel."

"Did you love her? You don't have to answer that I'm just curious." Said Faye looking over at the city when she asked rather than at Batman.

"Yes, she said she would wait for me. There would come a time when Gotham no longer needed Batman and then we would be able to be together." Bruce hadn't really talked much about Rachel in over a year. He found it odd that he was telling her all this, but he supposed he was partially doing it as a warning to her about what could happen to her by spending two much time with him.

"Do you think that day will ever come, when Gotham no longer needs Batman?"

"I certainly hope so."

"Yes, I think I might still always need you though, who else would I talk to at these odd hours in the night?" Faye said with a laugh. She knew it was selfish of her to wish he could in fact be Batman forever, she would miss seeing him on the day Gotham no longer needed him.

"I'm sure you'll find someone else."

"Maybe I don't want to…" mumbled Faye.

"What did you say?" He asked not quite sure if he had heard her correctly.

"Nothing." She said hugging her arms around herself she was rather cold in just her dress.

"Maybe you should get a jacket." He said.

"I will if you promise not to disappear when I go back into the house."

"Alright." He said.

Faye then headed back inside to get her jacket.

**Well there you have it. Another chapter, two in one day! Tell me what you think please. After all I just typed up 6 pages worth of story on word, the least you could do is review, because I love reading your comments they brighten my day :-) **

**Captain Turlow**


	9. It All Started With A Bang

**I actually had time to update today so hooray! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Thank you to all of those people who review.**

Bruce woke up the next morning to see that Alfred had already made breakfast. He got up began to eat when Alfred entered the room.

"Well, how is Ms. Parson?" He asked.

"She's fine, Alfred." Said Bruce.

"Always good news, she is a lovely woman. I must say I quite like her."

"She'll also stubborn as hell." Muttered Bruce

"Says the pot about the kettle." Said Alfred with a smile.

"I think she'll falling for Batman."

"Well someone was bound to eventually."

"Shouldn't I be worried about a woman me more as a masked vigilantly then as Bruce Wayne?"

"Are you worried Master Wayne?"

"I don't think so. I actually enjoy having someone to talk to as Batman, but still that isn't normal, who she enjoys the company of."

"Master Wayne you of all people should not be allowed to judge what is normal. You are after all the one running around in a mask standing on her fire escape. But if it bothers you so much perhaps Bruce Wayne should make an effort to caught Ms. Parson's attention."

"Alfred, that's a great idea. Then if I even decided to tell her it would be easier because I would know she likes both aspects of my life." Said Bruce finishing his breakfast.

Faye Parson was rather distracted at work today. She stared blankly at the Applied Science page on the computer screen. She couldn't stop thinking about Batman and the fact that he could also potentially be her boss. She had finished her paper work for the morning and had and hour before her lunch break.

She looked out the window, willing the sun to set so that she could go home and sit on her fire escape. Suddenly her phone rang. She answered it and Sophie spoke on the other side of the line.

"Batman come over again?"

"Yes, he always does."

"You really need to find yourself a better social life, Faye. Didn't that big party you go to like end at midnight? It's not a good idea for you to be leaving parties, normal social gathers, to sit on you're fire escape and wait for a man in a mask to arrive."

"I know, I just really like talking to him. I trust him, it's like a could tell him anything. Sometimes I think he just needs someone to talk to as well."

"Yeah, you can tell him anything except for the fact that you are in love with the man."

"I know, it's rather sad isn't it?"

"Faye, you can't just keep pining away for the man. I mean what if someone else asked you out, would you say no, just because of your love for Batman."

"Alright fine, Sophie."

"Hey, have you heard from Harleen lately?"

"No I haven't actually, I hope she's okay, it's like she's just disappeared or something." Said Faye.

"I know, but there hasn't been anything on the news so I suppose she must be alright."

"Yeah, hey I got to go someone it coming up the elevator." Said Faye hearing the ding that signaled the doors to the elevator had opened. She quickly closed the Applied Science screen and grabbed a textbook so she looked like she was doing something productive.

"Working hard I see." Said Bruce laughter in his tone as he entered her office.

"Oh yes, well this is quite fascinating." She said holding the book.

"Can't say I've ever read a Calculus book upside down, does that make it more interesting?"

"What?" Said Faye blushing slightly she looked down at the book and noticed it was indeed upside down. "Yes actually you see the formula's in a whole new light."

"I guess I'll have to try it sometime." He said sitting down in the other chair in her office.

"Um, I don't mean to be rude Mr. Wayne, but what are you doing here?"

"Nothing really, I just have nothing to do and I know you're alone down here till after your lunch break so I figured I would keep you company."

"Oh, well um thank you." Said Faye looking back at her computer screen. She sneaked a glance at him but over her computer screen she could only see the top half of his face. What she really wanted to see was the bottom half of his face because then she might be able to see if it looks anything like Batman at all. An awkward silence fell between the two of them. It felt strange to Bruce that he could talk with her more as Batman than he could as himself.

"Weather's nice today." He said trying to make small talk to fill the annoying silence.

"Is it? I wouldn't know I don't have a window." She said checking her email.

"Oh right…" He said.

"Mr. Wayne…" She started.

"Bruce, you might as well call me Bruce seeing that I already call you by your first name."

"Alright then, Bruce, I'm going on my lunch break now so…" Said Faye really hoping this rather awkward encounter would come to an end.

"Well have a nice lunch then." He said with a smile.

"Right…okay." Said Faye grabbing her purse and leaving the office.

"Have a nice lunch then?" muttered Bruce to himself cursing at how dumb that had sounded. It was strange having a conversation with Faye because he already knew so much about her. She had told him about how her dad died in a boating accident and her mom died of cancer. He knew she hated corn because she was always picking pieces of it out of her Top Ramen. He also knew her greatest fear. He knew so many thinks about her that it felt repetitive to try ask her about them because he already knew them…well technically Batman knew all those things.

Faye had gone out to her lunch break and went down to Gotham High to eat with Sophie. The school was under reconstruction in some parts but luckily from Sophie's office the construction could not be heard.

"The school is looking much better." Said Faye, noticing the new computer on Sophie's new desk.

"Yeah, Mr. Wayne really helped out these schools. Course I couldn't have done it without you either Faye, Ms Head of the Education Department."

"I really do love that job."

"I bet not as much as you love Batman." Said Sophie in a teasing manner.

"Oh, shut up you." Said Faye throwing a chip at her friend.

"Hey, did you hear down at Arkham there was an incident with the Joker last night?"

"Yeah, Sophie that's old news."

"No it's not I just heard in now on the radio. Wait a second let me guess the Bat told you didn't he?"

"Yes."

"Not fair! You should have to wait for news like that just like the rest of us. And why didn't you tell me, as friend of the woman who talks with Batman I get certain privileges."

"I wasn't sure if I was allowed to. There are some things he tells me I don't tell anyone else and vice versa."

"Oh like what?"

"Sophie! Did you not just hear a word I said? There are some things I just can't tell you. It's dangerous for me to know some of these things as it, their like clues to who he really is."

"Do you know who is he is?"

"Maybe." Said Faye.

Later on the evening Faye like usual waiting until the 11:00 news started before heading outside. This time she was smart and put on a pair of jeans and brought a sweatshirt so she won't be cold.

"Are you there?" She asked into the shadows.

"Yes." Said Batman appearing out of the shadows.

"I still haven't figured out how you do that." She said looking over at him.

"It takes practice." He said.

"I would imagine so."

"How's The Joker?"

"He's up to something."

"Oh, should I be worried?"

"Yes, he's going to escape soon and I know it. I can't come here anymore; it would be putting your life in danger."

"Because he would think I would know who you are?"

"Yes and he would try to use you to get to me."

"Except…there a slight problem with this plan…" She said stepping closer to him and looking into the dark brown eyes behind the black mask.

"Which is?" He said.

"I think I might already know." She said.

However before Bruce to even say anything she kissed him and he forgot whatever it was he was going to say and kissed her back. Faye felt an arm snake around her waist. Now everyone wants the moment in there life then the kiss the person they love for the first time. That time when you legs feel like they are filled with Jell-O and concrete at the same time and you feel as though fireworks are going in your brain. What you do not however want is to be interrupted which is just what happened when both of them heard what sounded like an explosion.

They broke apart and turned to face the source of the noise. It didn't take long to find because I fiery cloud of smoke could be seen coming form the outskirts of the city.

"That looks like Arkham." Said Faye slightly out of breath.

"It is. I have to go." He would have liked to stay and talk to her more about what had just happened, but he knew that if The Joker had escaped Gotham would need him. So he knew he had to leave and see what had happened.

"Yeah, of course." Said Faye watching him disappear into the night. She had never had any real personal reason to hate The Joker before, sure I mean everyone hates a mass murdered, but now she had a personal reason to hate him. She hated his impeccable timing couldn't he have waited just another minute or so to escape from Gotham, so then should could have listened to what Batman had to say before she went back into protecting Gotham mode?

**Well they finally kissed, to bad The Joker had to go and blow up a building. Anyways don't forget to review.**

**Captain Turlow **


	10. Questions

**Well here is yet another update. Expect my updates on weekends to appear around this time. Cause while some of you lucky people today was your first day of school but I have had two weeks of it already and am now going on my third. Thank you to all of those people who review this story, I'm so glad everyone likes it so far.**

After Batman had left Faye didn't know what to do. If the explosion had come from Arkham then in meant The Joker would also be a large once again. She sat on the couch and pulled out a book trying to keep her mind occupied rather then focus on this daunting notion. After reading the same paragraph for awhile she go up to make herself some tea. She really just needed someone to talk to someone who could distract her. She picked up her phone and called Sophie.

"What?" Said groggy sounding Sophie on the line.

"Hi, it's just me." Said Faye, not tired at all.

"God, what are you nocturnal or something?" muttered Sophie slightly annoyed at her friend call to just talk. "It's like 1 in the morning."

"Yes, it is and I'm not nocturnal I'm just an insomniac."

"Well what ever you want to call it, but it still means you are awake at hours normal people are sleeping."

"Batman's usually up at this time."

"That's why I said when 'normal' people are sleeping Faye." Yawned Sophie. "Are you calling for a reason?"

"Not really I just wanted to talk. I kissed him Sophie."

"Really what happened?"

"He ran off."

"Oh well tuff luck at least now we can end the infatuation."

"No he ran off because The Joker might have escaped from Arkham."

"What!" Said Sophie in surprise.

"The Joker…" Started Faye when Sophie then interrupted her.

"I know what you said I'm just surprised is all. Faye, I'm worried about you. What if The Joker took Harleen hostage? We've talked about you and Batman in front of her, what if she tells him and he comes after you?"

Faye's stomach seemed to churn Sophie's words. She hadn't thought of that. Before when the Joker was at large Faye hadn't felt she was in any more danger than anyone else. She was no one of great importance just a school teacher not a target. But now, she was the head of one of the Department's at Wayne Enterprises, it's newest department that provided charity and was attempting to help Gotham, her name had been in the papers. Not to mention the fact that she knew Batman.

"Faye? Are you still there?" Asked Sophie.

"Yeah, I'm here sorry. I just hadn't thought of that."

"Faye I know we always joke about you and Batman but all jokes aside I need to be serious about this. Having anything to do with Batman is dangerous. You could get killed would you be willing to do that to die for a man you hardly even know? I mean what do you really know about this guy?"

"I know its crazy I do hardly know him, I just first I was interested in finding out more about him and he does reveal stuff when we talk sometimes I don't think he fully realizes it be it's like each time I get another piece of the puzzle. I know the whole love at first sight thing seems really crazy and I'm not entirely sure if I do love him. It's just I watch the sun all day willing for it to set because then that means he'll be coming soon. I just feel like I could tell him anything and he wouldn't judge me for it, he just listens really listens not like some people who just pretend to be interested in what you are saying and I don't know. I already have all these pieces and I'm curious as to how the puzzle turns out."

"You know what they say about curiosity Faye, it killed the cat. I think you should stay away from him it's dangerous."

"I know he told me the same thing. But then I told him that it's already to late because I think I know who is he is. I just have to be sure of it, I'll poke around for a bit see what I can piece together, I have a theory all I need is proof."

"I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this am I?" Said Sophie with a sigh.

"No, most likely not." Said Faye.

"Well at least go stay at Mr. Wayne's penthouse tomorrow night so that why I can at least sleep easier knowing your locked in away in that fortress and not having bits of you got raining over the city when The Joker blows you up."

"I don't think he would simply just blow me up. If he wanted to know who Batman was he would probably try and torture it out of me. He'd have to kill me though cause I won't tell him. Batman stand for something more important and this city needs him more than they need me."

"Wow, Faye you really know how to calm a person down." Said Sophie sarcastically.

"I was just being realistic, I would have to suffer the consequences for my actions."

"Seriously thought promise me you'll go to Wayne's tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll go to Bruce's house."

"Since when was he Bruce to you?" Said Sophie in a teasing tone.

"Since he told me to call him that earlier today. I better go Sophie I got to at least try and get some sleep." Said Faye.

The next morning it was all over the news. The Joker had broken out of Gotham and Harleen Quinzel the woman who was his physiatrist was missing, there were no clues to where she might have gone.

Faye had just entered her office. She was tired because she hadn't gotten any sleep that night. She checked her email to see if there was anything she need to do to and found that nothing needed to be done So she went into the elevator to go up a few floors to talk with Mr. Fox.

She knocked on his office door. "Come in." He said.

"You look tired Ms. Parson is everything alright?"

"No, not really and I look tired because I am." She said closing the door behind her.

"Worried about The Joker?"

"Yes." She said walking over towards his office window and closing the blinds.

"Ms. Parson is there any particular reason for all the secrecy?"

"Yes there is. Mr. Fox I need to ask you something about Mr. Wayne and I want to know the truth…"

"Ms. Parson whatever it is you are about to ask me I not the one you should be asking. If you would like to talk to Mr. Wayne I'm sure he is in his office."

"But, I can't until I have proof, I have to be sure."

"Sometime you just have to take a chance Ms. Parson." Said Mr. Fox going over to the window and opening the blinds.

"Right well thanks, anyway." Said Faye heading back outside the office. Mr. Wayne's office was right across the hall, she walked over to the door and reached up to knock on it, but she paused and was almost about to turn around when she heard him say "Come in." She contemplated on whether she should just leave anyway and hope he thought he had just heard something, but she knew she would have to face him sooner or later.

"Hi, Bruce. You must have good hearing I didn't even get a chance to knock on the door yet." Said Faye entering his office.

"Yeah, well marble floors and high heels don't exactly make you too quite." He said. Faye noticed he looked even more tired than she did. Truth be told all morning he had expected her to come by his office, if what she said last night was true then it only made sense that she would be here.

"Right, I always forget." She said with a nervous laugh.

"Well what's on your mind Faye?" Asked Bruce still not sure how he would answer the question when she asked him, should he tell her the truth or should he lie?

"Yes, actually there's something I wanted to ask you." Said Faye softly as she shut the door behind her.

"Alright, shoot." He said. A tense silence followed as they both stared at one another.

"I know you said that if I even needed a place to stay I could just stay at your place. Well with The Joker out on the loose I just don't feel safe staying at my own house." She said. Faye felt rather dumb, she had chickened out she just couldn't ask him at least not yet.

"Right of course." Said Bruce surprised, maybe she thought Batman was someone else and not him.

"Thanks."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. Um…do…do you…do you think you can give me a ride to my house after work so I could pick up some things before I head over." Said Faye awkwardly.

"Yeah sure. I can't say I'll be at the house for long though I have a party to go." He said.

"What would a night be for Bruce Wayne without attending some party?"

"I don't have to do that every night, some night I just want to stay home, watch the 11'00 news or something, but I have obligation so…"

"Really I used to always watch the 11'00 news, every night. I always liked that one weatherman."

"Why don't you watch it anymore?"

"What, oh you know other things just always seem to come up. What time do you get of work?"

"When ever I want to really, so I'll pick swing by your office around 5."

"I get off at 7."

"You are a workaholic, you know that? You stay overtime almost every day. So today I say you're getting of two hours early alright? Plus you look like you need the rest."

At five as promised Bruce showed up at her office and after multiple attempts was finally able to tear her away from the essay she was looking over for one of her tutoring students. Then were now in his Ferrari heading to her apartment. Bruce had to keep reminding himself to ask for directions even though he knew where he house was.

"I'll just be a minute." She said getting out of the car and heading into her building. She emerged a few minutes later with a small duffle bag.

"Here you can just put that in the trunk." He said taking the bag from her. He winced slightly because though the bag was not heavy his arm was still sore from last night when a police man had actually be able to graze his arm when he shot at him.

"Another spelunking injury." She asked.

"Yeah, spelunking." He said putting the bag in the car.

As the drove back to his penthouse they sat in silence until Faye asked "So what do you do at all these parties you go to?"

"Well usually a group of rich or famous people all get together and talk about how rich and famous they all are."

"Sounds like fun." She said sarcastically.

"Oh it's load of fun, we play who's richer and I usually win at that, and then we play who's more famous and sometimes I win at that but not all the time." He said in a joking manner.

Faye laughed and said "It sounds like when us teacher used to get together only we play who's poorer."

"Yes, well I'm sure you teachers are richer in many more aspects of you life then they are. Teaching is one of the most under appreciated jobs and yet you have the biggest impact on people's lives."

"Yeah, I guess so." Said Faye. It was strange to her to be talking with Bruce like this. Usually their conversations were rather sort and awkward to tonight they were actually joking about things with one another.

They arrived at Bruce's penthouse and Faye noticed that Alfred had already set up the couch bed. She placed her bag on the bed and grabbed her pj's and a toiletry bag.

"Do you mind if I take a shower?"

"No, go right ahead just make yourself at home. I actually have to go though so just ask Alfred to make you some dinner or something I should be back later on tonight." He said looking down at his phone.

"Alright, and um you should probably try and expect the lights to be on when you get back."

"Actually that reminds me." He said going over to the kitchen and opening a drawer. He pulled out the item he was looking for and tossed it to Faye, before he went over to the elevator and stepped inside.

Faye looked down at the object in her hand and smiled it was a nightlight.

**In case you are wondering The Joker will not be appearing until a few chapters later. I have to watch The Dark Knight again and make sure I can really get his character right because after all Heath Ledger did an amazing job as The Joker, I have also been watching the cartoon version of Harley Quinn to see what I can do with her character. Also just in case you didn't already know in the next Batman movie they are thinking of casting Johnny Depp as The Riddler. I think he would be awesome but then again I am a little bias when it comes to Johnny. Anyway review!**

**Captain Turlow**


	11. Do You Like Bats?

**Sorry it took a little while to get his next update up. My wireless internet decided it was going to not work for like 3 hours. I have having withdrawals you don't realize how much you use the internet for things until it breaks down. Anywho thanks to all of you who were able to talk a break from you homework and read my story and review. Personally I think homework is evil luckily tonight I had none! I was so happy!**

Batman had been looking through the whole city for any signs of The Joker. He knew however he would not find them unless The Joker wanted people to. He looked up into the night sky and noticed something he had not seen for a long time. Through the clouds a dim light and a murky symbol could be seen. He contemplated whether or not he should after all it could be a trap but given the circumstances he would have to risk that. Much to his relief all he saw when he arrived was Gordon standing next to a flood light with a paper bat symbol taped to it.

"Are you sure you want to be advertising that right now." Said Batman coming into view.

"Well it's been about a year and given the circumstances it is necessary."

"Arkham couldn't hold him forever. Any news on who he might be targeting?"

"No, not yet at least. We've already got the mayor and new DA under maximum security just in case. I've send my family on a vacation outside of the city. We're trying to stop him from getting to people before he names them."

"What about the girl?"

"Dr. Quinzel? Still no sign of her. We're also looking into warning her friends but I don't think either of them are in to much danger. She was seen having lunch about a week ago with a Sophie Summer, and Faye Parson that girl who heads the education department at Wayne Enterprises."

"Did you get a hold of them?"

"Ms. Summer said that she was worried about Ms. Parson being in danger more so then herself. She didn't say why but it makes more sense, she's been on the TV and she was threatened by the mob a few weeks back. I don't know if you remember that or not, she said you saved her."

"Keep on working; let me know when you find out anything new." He said vanishing before Gordon even had time to answer.

Bruce returned home at around one in the morning. He had been over at what used to be Arkham trying to see if there was any hit as to The Joker's whereabouts. When he came into the room he noticed much to his relief the lights were off. He could see the faint glow of the nightlight over by where Faye sleep and it cascaded along the features of her face.

"She went to bed around ten. Rather early for her, last time she stayed awake till at least one." Said Alfred coming out from his room.

"I'm surprised you're still up Alfred." Said Bruce.

"Well I had to make sure you didn't come back here and bleed all over the carpet."

"Actually for once I came back unharmed."

"With that man on the loose I couldn't be sure." Said Alfred turning to go back to his room.

"Hey Alfred?" Said Bruce.

Alfred stopped and turned to face him again. "Yes, Master Wayne."

"Did she say anything tonight that would have suggested that she knew about…" Started Bruce.

"Ms. Parson is sleeping, Master Wayne, but no she didn't say anything of that nature. What makes you think she would?"

"Well last night right before she kissed me, she said she thought she knew who I was."

"Well do you think she does?"

"Know I'm Batman? I'm not sure."

"And what did you say to her after that?"

"I had to leave because The Joker blew up Arkham."

"What would you have said?"

"I don't know."

"Then it is probably something you should think about." Said Alfred going back to his room.

Alfred was right it was defiantly something to think about. He looked down at the woman lying in his couch bed. Sure, he found her attractive, it was hard not to she was a rather beautiful woman, even more so when her pixie like face wore the expression of a smile rather than an angry glare. She was strong willed, and independent. He thought that if anyone else would have said that to him he would have been worried but he trusted her enough that if she did actually know he knew she would keep his secret. He would like to get to know he more, that was for sure. He liked her company; she was enjoyable to be around. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, which could be looked upon as both a good thing and a bad thing…

He stopped contemplating these things for a moment when he noticed her eyes slowly opening.

"Sorry I didn't mean to wake you." He said when she looked at him with her dark blue eyes.

"It's alright, I usually don't get much sleep anyway. How was your party?" She asked with a yawn. In truth however Faye had been awake since Alfred had entered the room to talk with Bruce. She had been laying there silently listening to there conversation. When she had heard Bruce say "know that I'm Batman" she felt her heart skip a beat. Now that she had the proof all she needed to do was confront him about it.

Bruce had almost said what party when he realized that was were he told her he would be tonight. "It was alright, not what I had hoped for."

"What did you finally lose a game of who's richer?" said Faye in a teasing manner.

"I've already told you I always win at that game. No, tonight I lost how's more famous, damn those International supermodels." He said jokingly.

"Hey Bruce?" She said looking over at him.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"I don't think I thanked you let for letting me crash here, again."

"You don't have to thank me. It was no problem."

"Yes, well sometimes everyone needs to know what they are doing is appreciated." She said with a smile.

"Uh, your welcome then." Said Bruce faltering slightly. He couldn't tell if she was hinting at something or if it was just a coincidence. He said goodnight to her before heading to the bathroom so he could shower and change into some pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He then went to bed.

The next morning a rather awkward silence was hovering around the two of them as they ate the breakfast Alfred had made for them. There was not reason for either of them to rush because after all it was Saturday which meant Faye had the day off and Bruce made he own hours so he didn't have to go to work if he didn't want to.

Faye avoided eye contact with him as she poked at her scrambled eggs. Truth be told she was not really much of a breakfast person and she wasn't very hungry. She was instead trying to figure out a why to tell Bruce that she knew he was Batman. She could try the causal approach by asking him something like "So I'm just curious but what's your favorite animal?" and if he by the off chance said a bat she could respond with "I thought so seeing as you are Batman." Or if he didn't respond by saying a bat she could always say "Really, I would have thought you would have picked a bat, seeing as you are Batman. She could also try saying the more direct approach "I know your secret and I know so I know you're Batman." But she thought that seemed to accusatory. She knew whoever that she would have to try some how.

"So… spelunking, what got you interested in that?" She said looking up for a brief moment before becoming engrossed in her food once again.

"Uh…just sort of did really." He said brow knitted with confusion at the random question. They had both been silent for the past half hour or so.

"Do you ever see any bats while you're down there? I mean going in caves and stuff you're bound to eventually…"

"Sometimes." Said Bruce watching her as she looked down at her food. He had a feeling he knew what this was about but he wanted to see how she was going to get to asking him.

"Oh, that must be interesting…" She said now becoming very interested in a painted on the wall. Silence fell between them again. Faye knew she had to just ask but she didn't want to just blurt it out. She continued to stare at the painting; it was Van Gogh's Star Starry Night, but she wasn't really focused on the painting at all.

"Do you like bats?" Asked Bruce interrupting her train of thought.

"What?" She said caught off guard until she recovered by saying. "Yes, I suppose I do, probably a little more than I should. Um…what about you?"

"Well I used to be afraid of them when I was younger, I still am I little but I've learn to conquer me fear."

"Yeah no kidding." Muttered Faye under her breath.

"What did you just say?" He asked.

"What? Oh nothing important…" She said, looking back over at the painting. The conversation keep lapsing into these awkward silences. Bruce really wished she would just get on with it and ask him if he was Batman so then he could tell her he was and they could get on with there lives.

"Faye was there something you wanted to talk to me about, besides spelunking and whether or not I like bats?" said Bruce hoping this question might help speed things up a little.

"Yes, actually I've been trying to since yesterday but I just needed some proof and then last night I heard you and Alfred talking so, I got my proof. I was right all along I knew you were Batman." Faye said with relief. It felt like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"Lucius told me the first day you starting working at Wayne Enterprises that you would find out. How did you find out?"

"That night at the party when you had those stitches I began to have my suspicions and on the train ride home I pieced everything together that night. I don't think you have to worry about very many other people figuring it out. It wasn't easy, but I suppose I had an advantage because I knew both of you, sometimes I think you gave me clues without even realizing it."

"You do realize that knowing this puts you at a great risk, Faye." He said in a serious tone.

"I know, you've told me before, well as Batman."

"I think you should stay here, it's the safest place for now."

"I only brought clothes for today and I have to get my work clothes for Sunday, I promised I would tutor this girl about the Roman Empire she has a test on Monday."

"What's wrong with what you're wearing?" Asked Bruce.

Faye looked down at her jeans and black Rolling Stones t-shirt. "It's completely unprofessional."

"Alright I'll stop by your house and pick up something for you."

"I don't want you going through my clothes! I'll go with you a get something to wear."

"Fine." He said with a smirk.

"What?" She said.

"I'm just trying to like of what you could possibly have in your closet that you don't want me to see, it must be pretty embarrassing from the reaction you just had."

"Oh like you're one to talk." She said rolling her eyes. "Also am I allowed to call Sophie and tell her where I am, she would worry if I didn't?"

"Do you trust her?"

"Yes, she wouldn't tell anyone if I told her not to."

After the two of them finished there breakfast, they go into the Ferrari and drove over to Faye's apartment. Luckily they ran into anyone and Faye was able to grab what she needed for tomorrow.

"Call Sophie on my phone, that way they can't trace the call." He said handing her a cell phone.

"Do you really think he might be after me?" Said Faye dialing the number on the phone.

"I'm not sure, but I'm not taking my chances."

"Hi Sophie, it's Faye."

"Hey, what's up. I almost didn't answer cause the number was restricted. Who's phone are you using?"

"I just called to let you know. I'm staying at Bruce's another night."

"Really, I know you two sort of resolved most of your difference but I didn't realize you would actually want to voluntarily spend the whole weekend with the man, you used to hate him."

"I think I prejudged him Sophie, there's more to him then meets the eye." Said Faye. She felt a little strange saying all of this with Bruce in the car but she didn't know when else she could chat with Sophie. She noticed that they were pulling up to the front of the Hotel already. "Hey Sophie I actually have to go. I'll call you as soon as I can."

Bruce and Faye spend the rest of the day sort of doing there own thing. Faye spent most of the day reading and Bruce sat watching the news. Since the his secret was now out in the open in seemed as though the silence that filled the room was no longer an awkward one. For Bruce it was nice to have someone besides Alfred and Mr. Fox to share his secret with. For Faye it seemed as though the crucial pieces to the puzzle that was Bruce Wayne/Batman were now coming together. For now both of them were content with the silence.

**Well you guys know what to do. I would love to hear your feedback. All it takes is like 5 minutes to write a review so please, let me know that you are still actually reading this story. **


	12. I Do Believe In Fairies

It was around 4:00 and Faye had finished her book about an hour ago, Which left her with nothing to keep her occupied and finally forced her to pay attention the car of worms that had just been opened this morning

**Thank you for all your wonderful comments! Hope you like the chapter!**

It was around 4:00 and Faye had finished her book about an hour ago, Which left her with nothing to keep her occupied and finally forced her to pay attention the car of worms that had just been opened this morning. She had been looking down at the last page of her novel while every few seconds looking over at Bruce who was watching the news. He seemed perfectly calm about the whole thing. She on the other hand had been following his example all day while pushing back all the nagging thoughts that were now begging for attention. She had never really put much thought into how she felt about Bruce beginning Batman, sure she had suspicions that he might be but that was about as far as she had dwelled on the fact. Now that it was in fact confirmed that he was Batman it brought forth some rather complicated issues.

If she was in love with Batman who was in fact Bruce Wayne who was in fact her boss that technically meant that she was also in love with her boss. However she at first never really liked Bruce and then when she go to know him better she liked him, but she couldn't say she ever really loved him, but if she was in love with Batman then wasn't she also in love with Bruce. Although real question should be who is he really? Bruce Wayne or Batman or a bit of both perhaps? He had told her he lived the illusion of the life so which was real and which was the mirage?

An few nights ago she had kissed Batman which meant that she had technically also kissed Bruce and yet neither of them had even mentioned the kiss. She didn't want to bring it up unless he did. Did he think of her as more of just a friend that he could talk to when he needed to or something more? She knew he must care about her because he had been protecting her for the past few weeks. Maybe he just felt guilty about not being there for Rachel and so he was trying to make it up but helping her? She certainly hoped that was not the case.

Would there work relationship change now because of this? I mean they had always had a rather professional work relationship, sure might have flirted a little once or twice, but Faye had never really thought about have a actual relationship with her boss. Though it would be easier than the thought of trying to date the masked vigilante that had caught her attention it just didn't seem like something she had ever thought she would do. Her last over the past few weeks had become far more complicated than it had ever been. She went for being just an average everyday normal school teacher, to having no job, meeting the most powerful man in Gotham and walking him up with a stapler, to find out the mob might try and kill her, to meeting Batman, to having a job working for said billionaire, to falling in love with Batman, to finding out Batman and her boss where the same person…

"Hey, do you want something to eat?" Said Bruce.

"What?" Said Faye looking up from the page she had been staring at blanking for who knows how long. She noticed that Bruce was no longer watching tv but instead standing in the kitchen.

"I asked if you wanted something to eat." He said.

"Oh yeah…sure." Said Faye getting up from her seat on the couch and going over to sit on one of the bar stools. She watched him closely as he grabbing a box of macaroni and cheese. She felt the nagging questions and thoughts once again one in particular was truly getting to her so much so that she said it aloud. "Who are you?"

He put the pot he had just pulled out from under the cupboard on the counter. He turned to face her before he said "What do you mean?"

"Are you Bruce Wayne or are you Batman?"

Bruce thought about this for a moment. He was Bruce Wayne first and then Batman, but was the Bruce Wayne the media and lots of other people knew really the Bruce Wayne he was? Batman was a symbol, not a person, yet when he had been around Faye even though he was wearing a mask he had told her things when he was Batman that were more true to who he really was then things he had told her when he was Bruce Wayne…

"I didn't realize it was such a difficult question for you to answer as well." Said Faye interrupting his thoughts. He hadn't even noticed that she had moved from her seat on the bar stool and was now was in the kitchen where he was sitting on the counter staring at him with her piecing blue eyes.

"It's a little complicated."

"Only a little." She said with a smile. "Make me feel a little better though I though would be able to figure it out but if even you don't know then it's just a more difficult puzzle then I thought it was." She said trying to sound indifferent, though you could detect a slight disappointment in her tone. She had been hoping his answer to the question would help shed some light on her current dilemma, but it had only confirmed that fact that things were now complicated.

"I mean I guess there are parts of me that are Bruce Wayne, I mean I grew up here in Gotham and after my parents death I traveled the world looking for answers. It was then that I sort of began to discover Batman, a way for me to punish those who tried to cause pain for other people. When the man who killed my parents was shot I thought my chances at avenging my parents death died with him, but then I realized I could do something better. I could make is so people like him suffered and those who were innocent would never have deal with the pain I had."

"So Batman was the answer then?"

"I'm not sure."

"That's the problem when you go looking for answers before you know what the questions are." Said Faye.

"I guess so." Said Bruce.

As they stood there in silence just staring at one another a sudden idea hit Faye she had not idea why she hadn't thought of it before not only would it answer her question but also allow another topic they had yet to discuss surface. She closed the gap between the two of them and kissed him.

Bruce was caught off guard once again by the sudden kiss but soon his reflects kicked in and her returned the kiss. Faye felt an arm snake around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She didn't really know who to describe it, the kiss felt almost the same, in the sense that her legs still felt like Jell-O and concrete at the same time but there was also something different about it as well, she just couldn't place it. Luckily this time The Joker had decided not to blow something up and then broke the kiss voluntarily.

"I think you might be a little bit of Bruce Wayne and Batman." She said slightly out of breath as she looked into his eyes her arms still around his neck and his still around her waist.

"Uh, thanks for clarifying that…" He said slightly out of breath.

"Um, you welcome…um what do we do now?"

"Well first we might want to let go of each other…"

"Really?" Said Faye sarcastically as she let go of his neck and he her waist.

"Now what do you mean by what now?"

"Well, for starters, what exactly are we? Are we friends? Are we dating? Are…"

"I don't think they've quite come up with a term for it yet. I suppose we are friend I am we've talked almost every night for about a week. As for the dating part I would like to actually go on a date with you…"

"As Bruce Wayne?"

"Well I don't think going as Batman would be the best idea." He said with a smirk.

"I know that. I'm just staying won't it be weird since technically you're my boss."

"The tabloids will have a field day that's for sure, but I'm will to give it a try anyway."

"Yes, well you're not the one who would be portrayed as the social climber are you? Can't we just try and keep it a secret for awhile, like go somewhere more private."

"Alright then we'll go on one right now." Said Bruce with a smile.

"What where?" Said Faye with a laugh.

"Right here."

"But if I was going on a date I wouldn't be dress like this." Said Faye.

Bruce rolled his eyes before saying. "I've already seen what you look like at two in the morning in PJ's and no make up and if you can still look as beautiful in that as you did in that dress a few nights ago, so I really don't care what you're wearing."

"Can't say I've ever heard that line before." Said Faye with a laugh.

"It's not one you can usually use on a first date." Said Bruce looking over at the clock, it was almost 6. "Damn, I'm sorry this is going to have to be a rather sort date, I have to leave at 7."

"Oh trying to butter me up with compliments to soften the blow that you have to leave soon." Said Faye in a teasing manner. She knew the reason why he had to leave was an important one.

Bruce focused his attention back on trying to make the macaroni. Faye tried to get up and help him but he stopped her.

"No, you just sit there. If I'm not taking you out somewhere to eat the least I can do is make dinner. Sorry I'm not the best cook; hope you like mac and cheese."

"As long as it's not Cup of Noodle I'm fine with it." She said going back to sit down on the counter.

"Tell me something about yourself, something not many people know about you." Said Faye.

"What because telling you I'm Batman wasn't enough?" He said in a teasing manner.

"Not what I meant. Just something about you."

"Alright, I hate broccoli."

Faye let out a laugh "Why?"

"I don't know I just never have and when I was a kid my mom always used to make me eat it even though I didn't want to. Why do you hate corn?"

"How do you know I hate corn?"

"You pick it out of your Cup of Noodle whenever you eat it."

"I can't believe you noticed that." She said with a laugh.

"I can't believe you hate corn." He said also laughing.

The rest of there "date" was spend talking about there childhood, likes and dislikes and other things of that nature. They were both enjoying themselves. Yes things were a little complicated, but they were both will to try things out and see how it would go. The hour flew by so quickly and neither of them really wanted to have to end it, but with The Joker on the loose they knew it would have to be done. Plus Faye wasn't going anywhere and she would be there when Bruce got back.

Batman was heading for the police station to talk with Gordon when he noticed a group of cop cars parked near an apartment building. He thought it would be best to investigate. He came in through the open window, no one seemed to notice him enter. The room was almost completely dark except for the faint light coming from a lamp over by the sofa. There was loud rock music coming from a stereo on the coffee table, the body of a young woman lay on the sofa, her which had been painted a pasty white color and a red jack-o-lantern smile leering up at the ceiling where her dull eyes focused. In her hand there was what looked like a book, a playing card serving as a book mark.

Gordon and a few other cops looked at the body as someone from forensics took pictures of the scene.

"He didn't leave any really clues this time." Said Detective Ramirez.

"Arkham just made him crazier." Said Gordon he looked over to where Batman was standing, he had only seen him because the flash from the camera had illumined the room for a moment. "Detective, could you get everyone out of here I need a moment to think. And will someone turn that music off before they leave." Said Gordon.

After everyone had left he turned to Batman.

"Any ideas as to what it all means?" He said.

"Have you checked the book?"

"Yes, it's just that novel Peter Pan. We looked up anyone with any name as part of the authors but no one of importance matched up with James M. Barrie or any other combination, just some 80 year old war veteran.

"What about the page that's marked?"

"Just the word Fairy written over and over again on a picture of the fairy in the book."

Bruce felt his stomach flip and not in a good way. Faye, wasn't that old English for Fairy?

"What about the CD?' he said.

"I haven't looked at it yet." Said Gordon opening the CD player. "It's just some band The Alan Parsons Project. I'll have someone look into making the CD with the names of the author of the book."

Fairy Parsons, Faye Parson…really hoped that he was wrong in this conclusion.

"In case you're also wondering the girl isn't Dr. Quinzel she is still missing." Said Gordon mistaking his silence for contemplation about the dead body.

"Faye Parson, he's after Faye Parson." He said.

"The head of the education department? Why?"

"It's The Joker does he ever have a reason." Lied Batman.

"Are you sure?"

"Almost positive."

"Detective, get some squad cars over to Faye Parson's house she may be in danger." Said Gordon into a radio he was holding.

"You won't find her there. I've made sure she is safe."

Gordon raised a questioning eyebrow at the masked vigilante before radioing Ramirez again. "False alarm Detective." He then turned to ask Batman a question but like he so often did, Batman was gone by the time Gordon had turned around.

**Well there you have it, things are about to get interesting. I don't think even you can guess what is going to happen next because in all honestly I'm not entirely sure either! Ha! I watched the Dark Knight again to try and observe The Joker more can you tell? I almost made a comment back there about being a dog chasing cars. Ha!…well anyways, I would like you all to review… and I'm going to try and stop laughing at my own jokes…**

**Captain Turlow**


	13. Not So According to Plan

**Another chapter as promised.**

Bruce had just entered the penthouse, it was around 2 in the morning and he noticed Faye was asleep on the couch, her hand loosely grasping a remote, her face illuminated by the faint glow coming from the tv. She must have tried to stay up and wait for him only to fall asleep in front the television. He walked over to the TV and turned if off manually. He then went over to the outlet and plugged in the night light so the room was now slightly illuminated. He looked over at her sleeping form, noticing her stir slightly.

"Bruce?" She asked sleepily.

"Yes?" He said turning to face her.

"Everything go alright?" she asked now sitting up.

"Yeah." He lied. "Why don't you go back to sleep, I didn't mean to wake you."

"No it's alright, I'm not tired." Said Faye with a yawn. She noticed something about him was off, he seemed tense. "What's wrong?"

"We can talk about it in the morning. Get some sleep Faye."

"Bruce it is morning. Now tell me what's wrong." She said all trances of sleep gone from her stern expression.

Bruce let out a sigh of annoyance before saying. "When it's not dark out anymore then, I'll tell you."

"Well I'm not going to be able to sleep now anyway, knowing something is wrong."

"Alright then fine, The Joker has named you next." He said watching the color drain for Faye's face.

"He's after me because of you then."

"Yes. Faye, are you sure you can trust Sophie? I mean she may have been your best friend but you talked to her about Batman right? Was the only one you talked to about this?"

"No Sophie wouldn't be working for The Joker. The only other person who I talked to about it was Harleen…Harleen Quinzel." Said Faye looking paler by the minute.

"The missing woman?"

"Yes. But if he thinks I know who Batman is then he won't try to kill me, right I wouldn't be of any use to him dead."

"The Joker doesn't reason things out Faye, he kills people because it's sport to him."

"Look, Harleen been examining him for the past year and she says he smart, very smart, crazy but he knows what he's doing. No one can pull off some of this heists without a plan, and in order to plan one has to reason."

"Either way you are still in danger."

"But I'm safe here for now right?"

"Yes, which is why you are going to stay here."

"I have to go into work tomorrow."

"You're calling in sick."

"I have a student who needs my help. I'm going to go to work." She said crossing her arms in a defiant manner.

"I'm your boss and I say you're not going." He said a finality to his tone.

"Well after I go to work tomorrow you can just fire me then. I'm not going to just stay here and hide until The Joker finds me! Men like him get power from people fearing them, so I'm going to go about my life and not let him get to me. Men like him shouldn't be allowed to stop people from helping other people. You off all people should understand what I mean."

"I just don't want anything to happen to you Faye. I don't think you get it. When he finds you he may not kill you but he will hurt you in ways you can't even begin to imagine. That bruise you got when those mobsters hit you, that's like a paper cut in comparison to what he would do to you."

"I can't let someone who needs my help down. I'm sorry I just can't do it."

Bruce let out a sigh of defeat before saying. "Fine, you can go. I'm coming with you and you get two hours to help the kid, and then we're heading back here."

"Thank you." She said getting up from her seat on the couch to hug him.

"Yeah, but I mean it two hours and than we come straight back here."

"I know."

"Alright, goodnight then." He said giving her a peck on the lips before heading into the bathroom to shower and change.

When he came back out into the main room he noticed Faye had already pulled out the couch bed and was fast asleep. He knew she would be safer if she just stayed here tomorrow, but at the same time he knew that she had a good reason for wanting to help people, even if it was just to help them pass a history test. He just hoped everything would go alright tomorrow, he would blame himself if something happened to her.

The next morning after getting ready and eating breakfast the two of them headed into work. Faye went up to her office and Bruce went up to his. He had already told he would come down after her tutoring student had arrived.

About five minutes after Faye was in the tutoring room the student arrived.

"Hi, Sarah." Said Faye greeting the girl.

"Hi." Said Sarah setting down her backpack in one of the seats.

"So what are you not sure about?"

"Everything. I hate the Roman Empire everyone had that same name, how are you supposed to remember them all?"

"I know it can seem like that sometimes, but honestly I can teach you how to remember them all. Let's start by turning to page…"

"Omg is that Bruce Wayne!" Whispered Sarah to Faye excitedly. Faye looked over at the elevator where Bruce had just stepped out of.

"Yes, it is. Now about the Roman Empire…"

"What's he doing down here?" Said Sarah interrupting Faye again.

"He's probably just seeing how the tutoring program is going." Said Faye noticing Bruce was coming this way.

"Ms. Parson I hope you don't mind if I just sit in and watch how the tutoring session is going?"

"Not at all." Said Faye with a smile, it seemed weird now for him to call her Ms. Parson.

However it was in fact a problem that Bruce was there. Faye now understood why Sarah was having trouble remembering any of her history stuff. She was much more interesting in ogling Bruce than she was at actually learning the material. Sarah probably did something similar in class, she seemed like the type of girl who was more interested in the hot football player than whatever the teacher was teaching.

"Perhaps we should take a break?" Said Faye after about an hour for failed attempts at making history more interesting than Bruce.

"Okay sure." Said Sarah.

"Good. Mr. Wayne, may I have a word with you in my office?" She said getting up from her seat.

"Sure." Said Bruce following her into her office.

"Bruce, you're distracting my student. Can't you go somewhere else for awhile?"

"Jealous that someone else is looking at me?" He said with a teasing smirk.

"Yes, so much so." Said Faye sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

"I though we had a deal, I have to be nearby to make sure you are safe."

"I know but the girl can't learn anything with you there."

"Whoa!" The heard Sarah say from the other room. "Hey Ms. Parson, Mr. Wayne come and look at this!"

Both Faye and Bruce hurried into the room. Sarah was staring out the big glass window at a large black cloud of smoke rising from an apartment building in the distance.

"That looks like my building." Said Faye looking out the window as well.

"I think it is." Said Bruce.

"Oh, look the cops are here." Said Sarah looking down at the street below. She was right in fact there were 4 squad cars, now parked at the front of Wayne Tower.

"Sarah I think I would be best if you went home now." Said Faye.

"Alright, I'll call my mom." She said pulling out a cell phone. She talked with her mother for awhile before turning to Faye and saying "She says I should just take the train."

"Okay, sorry I had to cut the lesson short." Said Faye.

"That's okay. No offence or anything but it was kind of boring." Said Sarah pressing the button for the elevator. When the doors opened it reveled Commissioner Gordon and a few other cops. After then had enter the room, Sarah took the elevator down.

Gordon looked relieved when the saw Faye. "Ms. Parson, we're going to have to take you into custody." He said.

"Has she done something wrong Commissioner?" Asked Bruce.

"No, not at all. Did you see that explosion it came from your apartment? Someone left the gas from your oven on and it filled up the whole house over the course of a few days then that same person must have come back and lit a match and well…you can see for yourself. We think it might have been the man who calls himself The Joker. We are taking you in for your own safety."

"Um…okay…" Said Faye reluctantly she felt safer with Bruce than she did any of the cops there but at the same time she knew it would look suspicious if she didn't go with them.

"Right then way then." Said Gordon pushing the door for the elevator. She went to follow his as they all waited for the doors to open Bruce leaned towards her and whispered in her ear "Stick with Gordon, I don't know if you can trust anyone else. I'll be right behind you."

"Mr. Wayne you don't have to go into custody." Said Gordon.

"I know but I just came into work to see how the new department was doing, so now I can go home." He said. Bruce knew it was a bad idea to let Faye go to work today. Of course nothing was going to go smoothly. If The Joker had in fact blown up Faye's house it meant he knew she wasn't home. If the police where now going to try to protect her he knew that would not work either. He would just have to follow them and make sure she was okay. Perhaps as Batman he could convince Gordon later tonight to move her to a more secure location. What puzzled him most however was why had the Joker decided to blow up her apartment? What did that accomplish? Maybe he was just trying to send a message? But he did not have much time to dwell on these thoughts he had to get to his car and follow the squad cars back to Gordon's offices.

**Sorry I had to end it here because the things that are coming next need more space so this is the best place to end the chapter. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Send me a review and tell me what you think.**

**Captain Turlow**


	14. The Easy Way or The Hard Way

**Well now here's another chapter. Thank you everyone who had been kind enough to review.**

Faye was then escorted to a undisclosed location . She stayed close to Gordon just like Bruce had told her to do. She was now sitting in what looked like an office. There was a mirror on one side of the wall and Faye had a feeling it was not a mirror at all but another room probably where some cops were watching her from. The whole ride there she had keep trying to discretely glance over her shoulder in hopes of seeing the sliver Ferrari that Bruce drove, she had not but she knew just because she couldn't see him didn't mean he wasn't there.

"Alright then Ms. Parson, I'm just going to ask you a few questions to see if we can figure out why The Joker is targeting you." Said Commission Gordon, entering the room, looking down at a file in his hand. "And perhaps we can try it without lying this time."

"I'll do my best, but I can't make any guarantees." Said Faye managing a nervous smile she just keep imagining what would have happened if she wasn't staying with Bruce.

"Alright we will start with some easy ones."

"You starting working for Wayne Enterprises about 3 weeks ago are this correct?"

"About so yes."

"And you were first targeted by the mob after receiving the job?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel these two events are at all related?"

"No…" Said Faye not entirely sure how this was relevant.

"And then after the first attempt where they any others?"

"Just one I was followed in a car but other than that no."

"Do you feel that the first attack was just a random occurrence?"

"No."

"Then why do you think there we no further attempts at you life."

"Someone was looking out for me."

"Who?"

"A friend."

"Would you care to name this 'friend' Ms. Parson?"

"A friend is all you need to know, Commissioner."

"We'll come back to that question later then. Can you tell me where you have been staying for the past few days?"

"Somewhere safe."

"Where you staying by yourself or where you with someone?"

"With a friend."

"The same friend that was looking out for you."

"Not really."

"So someone different then?"

"No."

"But you also said it wasn't the same person." Said Gordon looking slightly frustrated at Faye's unhelpful answers.

"It's a little complicated."

"I can see that. Now do you have any idea why The Joker might be after you?"

"No idea." Lied Faye.

"Ms. Parson we are trying to help you, but not giving us any actual answers we can't do anything. So I'm going to let you think about this and I'll come back in a hour or two and see if you are ready to cooperate." Said Gordon heading back into the main section of the building. He would come back into the room another 4 times and Ms. Parson would still not give him any useful information.

It was around 7 at night and Gordon was standing in the room that looked over the room where Ms. Parson was still sitting in.

"She said anything useful yet?" Asked Detective Ramirez.

"No, not at all." Said Gordon.

"She's hiding someone, I don't know what it is but she doesn't want to tell anyone about it. She also keeps telling me she would be safer if I let her go back where she already was, but she also won't tell me where that is either."

"I turned on the flood light on the building."

"Alright, I'll go up and see if he's there." Said Gordon. "Keep on eye on her Detective."

When Gordon went up to the roof top of the see if Batman was here yet. Much to his surprise he already was.

"You were right about his being after the girl, blew up her apartment this morning."

"Where are you keeping her?"

"In one of the interrogation room we use for people who are the victims of the crimes not the criminals. She's not really cooperating at all, won't tell us anything."

"Maybe she doesn't think it's safe."

"She got cops on every floor of the building looking out for her."

"The Joker's broken out of here before what makes you think he can't break back in?"

"Well it's the best I can do for now."

"She was safe where she was before send her back there."

"I can't she won't tell me where it is."

"Let me talk to her and I will take her back there."

"Alright but I can't guarantee she will tell you."

Gordon made sure all the hallways leading down to the room where clear before Batman made his way down to the interrogation room. Gordon when to the other room to watch the encounter take place. They were talking in hushed voices and it was hard to make out anything they were saying, there was also lot of static now blocking what once was a clear audio from the room. They were talking about something and it looked as though Ms. Parson was actually answering the questions. She seemed much more relaxed now and not longer on edge the hint of a smile on her face as she stared right at the masked vigilante. At first Gordon was a little hesitant to send him in there because he was unsure as to what her reaction would be at seeing Batman, but it seemed as though she was completely at ease.

"Commissioner?" Said rather startled looking officer holding a cordless phone in his shaky hands.

"What is it?" Said Gordon looking irritated, he was just about to try and figure out just want was going on in there.

"A….Mr. J…is on the phone….he says it's important…"

"Hello?" Said Gordon picking up the phone.

"Good evening Com-missoner." Said a voice that Gordon had rather hoped he would have never had to hear again. "You know, you're a rather hard man to reach. I've been on hold for two hours, and I called the emergency line, talk about bad customer service."

"What do you want?" Said Gordon sternly.

"I just want to have a little chat, with Ms. Parson. And don't tell me you don't know where she is; I already know you have her somewhere in the building."

"Alright fine, just one moment." Said Gordon first he told Ramirez to start trying to track the call and then he hooked the phone up to a tape player so it could be recorded and everyone could hear the audio. He went into the interrogation room where Batman and Faye where standing. "It's The Joker, he's on the phone and he wants to talk to you. I've already got someone trying to track the call you need to try and keep him on the line for at least five minute though." Said Gordon. He noticed Faye and Batman glance at one another sharing some sort of private conversation before she answered.

"Alright." She said leaving the interrogation room. "Hello?"

"Well, if it isn't the ever allusive little fairy, Faye Parson. And I though I was good at magic tricks but you, you just vanished for two days and where impossible to get a hold of. So I had to do a little something that would get you out of your hiding spot. Course turn's out I could have just asked your dear friend Sophie, I found that out after you've already left of course. I mean she tells everything to that fiancé of hers. Turns out you've been staying with your boss, I tell you what it's amazes what you women do to get a promotion." He said with a eerie chuckle.

Faye felt her face redden slightly, now everyone at the police station would be thinking she'd been sleeping with Bruce. Not that she would have minded sleeping with Bruce but the way The Joker had just portrayed it made her look like a whore. "What are you calling about?" She said forcefully.

"Not one for chit chat are you? But hasn't you're mother ever taught you any manner when you want something you're supposed to say please."

"Please tell me what you are calling about." Faye said sounding irritated.

"Alright then, I was just trying to do you a favor. I mean the Commissioner needs you to stay on the line for at least five minutes before he can track the call, not that it will work mind you, but since I am so graciously helping you I thought you might like to return to favor. Now, I just have one tiny little question you might be able to help me answer…"

"No, I'm not going to answer it."

"It's also rude to interrupt people while they are talking. Now just here me out. I'll make you a deal alright? It doesn't really matter to me which option you choose cause I'm going to get my answer either way. Now they easy way is you just tell me, all I want to know is who is the Batman, and all you have to do is tell me and I promise not to bother you ever again. Then there's the hard way, which in my opinion is the fun way, where I make you tell me who the he is."

"I'll never tell you." She said surprised her voice sounded so strong when she herself felt terrified.

He let out a laugh before saying "Looks like it's gonna have to be the fun way then. I look forward to finally getting to meet you." And then the line went dead. Faye wasn't feeling safe at all anymore. She hadn't even seen The Joker and already she felt scared. Just the sound of his voice to send shivers down your spine and not in a good way.

"Do you actually know who his is?" Said Gordon pointing to Batman.

"Yes."

"We have to get you out of here." Said Batman to Faye.

"Where though, I can't go back to Bruce's place, he's find me there." Said Faye almost just saying the penthouse but realizing that if she said Bruce's name it wouldn't look like she was actually talking to Bruce.

"I know, I'm taking you somewhere else."

"Where?" Said both Gordon and Faye at the same time.

"Only I can know that way it will be safest." Said Batman. "Come on." He said ushering her out onto the roof before Gordon even had time to protest.

When they got the roof Faye turned to Batman and said "Where do we go from here?"

"Down the fire escape, it's not high enough for two people to glide down." He said. Then made there way down into one of the back alleys where a motorcycle was parked. It was all that remained of the old tumbler and Lucius had modified it so that it could be used as something temporary until a new tumbler could be built.

"If my dad where alive I think he would kill me if he knew I was dating a guy with a motorcycle." Said Faye trying to lighten the mood, but perhaps jokes may not have been the best thing to be making at the time. Batman got on the cycle and Faye sat behind him.

"You might want to hold on." He told her. She wrapped her arms around his waist holding on tightly as the motorcycle zoomed off onto the street. Faye pressed her head closer to his back in an attempt to block the wind that was now whipping past them as the traveled at such a high speed. They finally reached what looked like a warehouse and Bruce drove the motorcycle into what looked like a large shipping crate. It was rather dark and small inside the crate but the floor began to move like an elevator until they where lowered into another room illuminated by bright white lights.

"So it this the Bat Cave?" Said Faye with a smile after getting off the motorcycle.

Bruce took off the Batman helmet and said in his usual voice "The temporary one, the real one is actually a cave near Wayne Manor."

"Do it hurt to talk in such a deep voice when you're Batman?" Asked Faye watching as Bruce entered some codes on a key pad in the wall and a small bunk came out of the opposite wall.

"Not any more, at first it was. Now I'm just sort of used to it." He said with a shrug.

"So, I guess this where I'm staying for now." Said Faye sitting on the bunk.

"Yeah, I can get Alfred to bring you your meals and all your stuff. If you want to a TV to watch the news you enter 3476 on this code pad and if you need a bathroom its 1234." He said entering both codes and on the wall to Faye's left a door opened to reveal a small bathroom complete with toilet, sink and small shower. The TV was a large screen that also came out of the wall.

"I might need to write the one for the TV down but the bathroom one is easy enough." Said Faye.

"If you don't want to sleep in that tonight, I can let you borrow something of mine." Said Bruce pulling out a drawer that was full of t-shirts and sweats. He rummaged around in the drawer until he found a clean shirt and sweats.

"Yeah, I will thanks." Said Faye taking them when he handed them to her. She changed into them in the bathroom and by the time she came out she noticed Bruce had changed into a pair of sweats and was putting on a T-shirt.

"I surprised your not going back out there as Batman." She said.

"Well there's nothing I can really do at the moment. It's no use trying to find The Joker. I'll just head back to the penthouse and let you get some sleep." He said heading over towards the keypad. "You want the lights on right?"

Faye looked at the brightly lit room, even she could not sleep in a room this light. "Is there a way you can turn some of them off?"

"No, I'm afraid it's all or nothing."

"Could you turn them off please." She said. It was only 9 but she felt really tired, probably from the stress of what had happened today.

"Sure." He said turning them off.

"Hey Bruce?" She said before he could leave.

"Do you want them back on again?"

"No, it's just, do you think you could stay here tonight I'm scared."

Bruce knew that he being frightened had nothing to do with the lights being off. "Alright." He said grabbing an extra pillow and blanket from one of the drawers.

He put the pillow on the floor next to where the bunk Faye was laying in was.

"Are you going to sleep on the floor?" She asked sitting up in the bunk.

"There's only one bunk so, yeah." Said Bruce

"We could share it." Said Faye.

"It's a twin, if I tried to share it with you I would take up the whole bed." Said Bruce.

"I don't mind." Said Faye scooting over. Bruce got up and climbed into the bunk with Faye. After moving around a bit they finally found a comfortable position. Bruce lay on his back his head resting on the pillow and one of his arms around Faye, who was laying on her side her had resting on Bruce's chest.

"Goodnight." He said kissing her on the forehead.

"Goodnight." She mumbled, already beginning to drift off to sleep. All thought of The Joker where gone from her mind, for now she was safely laying in Bruce's embrace and that was the only place she wanted to be.

**Well there was a little bit of the Joker in this chapter, I hope I got his character right. And since some of you asked for it there was a little bit of fluff at the end of this chapter. Also don't forget to review.**


	15. Hide and Seek

**Okay so I tired to look over this chapter very carefully but I have this problem where I read things the why I think they are supposed to be and no the way the actually look so…I hope its better…**

Bruce was awake before Faye but he couldn't get up because he did not want to wake her. She was still fast asleep as he reached up to tuck a stray hair that had fallen on her face behind her ear. He could get used to this, waking up to Faye every morning, this moment of peace was however interrupted when all the lights in the run turned on. Faye let out a groan of annoyance before pulling the blankets over her head.

Alfred was the one who had turned the lights on. "I thought you both might be here." He said setting the breakfast tray on the desk that he had just come out of the floor.

"I had to take Faye somewhere safe." Said Bruce still not getting up yet.

"Between the two of you, you both make up a front page article in almost every magazine or newspaper." Said Alfred also setting some of them on the desk as well.

"I would imagine so." Said Bruce.

"Is there a particular reason you are both sleeping in a rather small bunk? Actually I think I'd rather not know." Said Alfred.

"Oh, it's not like that Alfred." Said Faye taking the blanket off her face.

Alfred did not comment on Faye's response and instead said "I've brought over your things Ms. Parson, like Master Wayne has asked me to do. Also Master Wayne, Mr. Fox called to tell you that you are needed today in the Applied Sciences room."

"Tell him I will stop by sometime after lunch." Said Bruce.

"I will be back at the penthouse if you need any further assistance then." Said Alfred.

Once he had gone. Bruce and Faye reluctantly got out of bed. Faye went over to her bag of stuff to see what she might possibly change in to; she grabbed her jeans and Rolling Stone's T-shirt.

"Do you know what I just realized; the only things I own are in this bag." She said.

"I can get you some new cloths." Said Bruce opening up a closet and looking for a normal business suit.

"The strange thing is I don't really care. There are so many things that are more important in life after all it's all stuff I can replace, and you don't have to buy me anything, though I do need more clothes you can just take the money from my next pay check."

"Faye, it's really not a problem."

"I know, it's just that you have already done so much for me. I usually just relay on myself and these past few weeks I've had to relay on other people a lot."

"You can't do everything yourself sometimes though, everyone needs a little help from someone every once in a while."

"Even Batman." Said Faye with a smirk.

"Even Batman." Said Bruce before heading into the bathroom to change. When he came out he was wearing one of his usual work suit. "Let's go and see what headlines we have made." He said going over to wear Alfred had put breakfast.

Faye grabbed a bagel and then began to flip look at some of the magazine most of them tabloids. The first read Batman Has a Girlfriend; it featured a rather blurry picture of Batman on his motorcycle and a circle around Faye's head showing that there was in fact someone else on the cycle. Another tabloid featured the headline Gotham's Most Eligible Bachelor Taken? It featured two separate pictures one of Faye speaking at that opening party and one of Bruce.

"So much for keeping it a secret." Said Faye showing Bruce the tabloid.

"More people will be reading the paper than the tabloids right now though; they are more interested on what is going on with the Joker. There's an article about your house blowing up and about how no one knows where you are but the police assure the public that you are safe." Said Bruce.

"Bruce, what are we going to do about him? I can't stay down here forever."

"I know, I just have to find him and get him locked up again."

"What if you can't find him?"

"I will find him."

"He's not going to come out of wherever he is unless he knows he can get to me. What if I went back to work? He'd be able to see where I am and it would lure him out of where he is hiding so that you could catch him."

"No, out of the question."

"But…" Protested Faye.

"No, there are so many things that could go wrong with that plan."

"Look, I don't really want to play a game of Russian Roulette with my life either but if it's the only way, then I'll do it." (A/N Russian Roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which a single round is placed in a revolver and the cylinder is then spun and the person fires the gun at themselves.)

"We would only go to a plan like that if it were a last resort. Just give me a day or two to try and find him. Plus now I have the tumbler so it will be easier to cover more ground."

"I'm just worried about what he will do when he can't find me."

"I know. I'll talk to Gordon and see if he can place extra security on public building such as hospitals and schools."

"Do you think he might target the school?"

"I don't know there's no telling what he will do."

The rest of the morning and mid day passed with a sort of eerie tension, the news was keep on in an attempt to see if they could pick up on anything. The news was still talking about the events that happened yesterday. Most of there conversation had been discussing Faye's plan. Bruce knew that the prospect of doing something like this frighten Faye, he had saw the way she had reacted just to talking on the phone with The Joker. He did not want her to have to face him. Faye on the other hand hating the prospect of just sitting back and doing nothing, yes she didn't want to face The Joker but if it meant potentially saving innocent lives then she would just have to face her fears and deal with it.

"Look, alright I agree with you that if it has to be done we should, but for right now just stay here where you are safe alright?" He said leveling with her because they had just spend the past few hours discussing this.

"Fine." Said Faye not looking very happy at the idea of it, but she knew he just didn't want any harm to come to her.

"I have to go and talk to Lucius about the new tumbler, but I'll be back to come and eat dinner with you alright?" He said giving her a quick kiss.

"Alright." She said sitting back down on the bunk, she new she would be rather bored until he got back.

Once he was gone she first entertained herself by trying to count all the ceiling tiles. Then she stared at the TV for awhile, eventually she went over to the key pad on the way and started to try different combination to see what would happen. The only problem was she didn't know who to put any of the things she was opening away. So far she had found a set of computers used to analyze finger prints and facial features, another closet full of random gadgets, the Batman suit, and a first aid station. However even though some of these things had provided sources of entertainment she didn't really want to mess with any of them for fear that she might break something. On her last attempt at hitting buttons on the keyboard she had found a rather long dimly lit secret passage way.

She debated for a moment on weather or not she should follow it. Bruce had told her to stay here, but at the same time he didn't specify that she had to stay in this room and not explore other areas of the "batcave". She made her way over to the passage and started to walk down it. As she did more lights turned on. She was hoping that as she followed the passage she was not making a serious blunder in leaving the room she was already in. The passage was fairly wide probably big enough for a motorcycle to go through. Faye could hear what sounded like cars above her which meant the passage must be under the city.

She had not idea how long she had been walking for but eventually she reached what looked like an elevator door. On the side was a button with an arrow pointing up. She press it and the doors opened, she stepped inside the elevator and pressed one of the buttons. She waited anxiously until the doors opened. It revealed a rather large room similar to that of the room she was staying in. In the far corner of the room a large black tank like car was parked. She also noticed Bruce and Lucius standing right in front of the tank-car that Faye assumed was the new tumbler.

"Now, I've added some new features…" Faye heard Lucius start to say as she slowly started heading back towards the elevator but the doors had already closed so when she press the button they dinged when they opened and both Bruce and Lucius turned there attention towards her.

"Can I help you with something Ms. Parson?" Asked Lucius.

"It's alright Lucius she already knows." Said Bruce.

"Did she figure it out on her own?" Asked Lucius.

"For the most part." Said Bruce.

"I told you she was a smart girl."

"She's standing right here and would prefer if you didn't talk like she wasn't." Said Faye.

"She also should have stayed back in the room like I told her to." Said Bruce.

"I got bored and technically this is still connected to the room. Where exactly is this anyway?"

"We're under Wayne Tower." Said Lucius.

"Huh, that's interesting. I suppose you can access if from the floor on the elevator that requires a fingerprint get to it, the one labeled B2."

"Who'd you know you needed a fingerprint?"

"I didn't it was just a guess that button always fascinated me. It was like some unsolved mystery like Applied Sciences." Faye said with a shrug walking over to the tumbler. "So how fast does this thing go anyway?"

"It can reach a top speed of 260 mph." Said Lucius heading over towards the car like Faye had.

"It wouldn't be able to go for very long though at that speed." Said Bruce.

"No, but if you want to hop in I can tell you about all the new gadgets." Said Mr. Fox.

"Can I come to?" Said Faye.

"I'm afraid it's only a two seater Ms. Parson but maybe after it would be a good idea to teach you as well."

"Are you kidding there's no way I could drive that thing!" Said Faye, she had a hard enough trying to parallel park her car when she had one.

"But, it still might be a good idea what if for some reason Mr. Wayne was unconscious or injured in some other way and unable to operate the vehicle."

"Hopefully she would be nowhere near me if I were unconscious or injured because then it would mean she wasn't in danger." Said Bruce. Faye was trying not to dwell on the thought of Bruce being injured in any way that was serious enough that he could not drive home.

However, Mr. Fox thought it would be best for her to at least learn the basics. So she took a crash course in driving the tumbler. She went before Bruce because he would have to learn more about the car than she did. After her lesson she had to return back to her room.

She sat down on her bunk. For some reason Mr. Fox's statement earlier kept playing in her head. What would she do if something happened to Bruce? She would be completely alone, sure she had Sophie who was her best friend, but Bruce was something so much more than a friend, she could tell him anything. If something happened to him she didn't know what she would do…she decided it was best not to dwell on these ideas. So to distract herself she turned on the news. The news anchor was talking about talking about how Harleen Quinzel was still missing.

"And in other news, Dr. Harleen Quinzel is still reported as missing, the police do not have any further comments and the time. However their have been rumors circulating that perhaps Dr. Quinzel was not taken hostage by force. More information on this story at 11. Police have surrounded a local Highschool Gotham City High to be exact because they think The Joker might be considering blowing up the school. The school has been placed on lock down and the students and staff members are still inside. The police have begun to make evacuations and we have channel eights own Cathy Bloomsfield on the scene…"

Faye's attention was now drawn to the screen. Gotham City High was the school she used to work at which meant Sophie would be one of the staff members still inside. The screen cut over to Cathy who had her back to the camera.

"Cathy, why don't you tell us what is going on down there?" Said the anchor with a chipper tone that only a news anchor would have.

"Cathy, is, ah, a little buzy at the mo-ment, so she asked me to fill in for awhile. I hope that's alright?" Said a voice Faye had rather hoped she would not be hearing anytime soon….

**Yes, I know I'm evil because I have given you the one thing that as a reader you love to hate and that is a cliffhanger. So you may review and tell me how much you hate me for stopping there, and the quicker you review the sooner I may undated. Thanks for reading the story and sticking with it. **


	16. I'm A Man Of My Word

Faye was completely shocked

**Now the suspense will finally be over!**

Faye was completely shocked. If the cops have the building surrounded why was no one instead running arrest The Joker were he now stood, brown wing off but still in the rather odd looking red pantsuit, which would have been comical on any other man but the Joker. On the Joker the red from the suit just eerily matched the red on his scared lips that he ran his tongue over before he spoke again.

"Well, To-m, as for what is going on at the scene here, the cops are trying to get everyone out of Gotham City High School, and a school is going to blow sky high in about…oh…10 minutes." Said The Joker looking at his watch causally as though someone just asked him for the time. "Meanwhile I will be taking Ms. Sophie here…Harley turn the camera over at the van, please!" He said snapping at whoever Harley was to turn the camera.

Then did and it panned over to what looked like the news van that would usually store all the equipment but instead held a young woman bound and gagged, her eyes wide with fear. Faye recognized the woman to be Sophie and she felt her stomach drop.

"Now." He said his tongue snaking out once again. "Ms. Summers here, will be dead within the hour, unless the ever-r elusive Ms. Parson, decides she wants to come out and play-y. I've become rather bored, with out little game of hide and seek so it's either, olly olly oxen free or-r say goodbye to your best friend-uh…"

At this moment Bruce came clamoring into the room from the secret passage way in the wall. Not even bothering to waste time and ask why he suit was already out her grabbing it and heading back into the passage way after saying. "Stay here."

Faye noticed that when he said this he said it in the deep voice he uses when he was Batman, maybe he thought she would listen to Batman better or perhaps he was just already in the mindset. Faye turned her attention back to the screen.

The noticed the camera was now focus once again on Sophie."I'm sorry…how rude of me. Did you have anything you want to add?" Said The Joker roughly pulling the gag out of Sophie's mouth.

Sophie was visibly shaking her mascara was running down her face as she sobbed "Faye, he said he killed Jackson…and…and now he's gonna kill me…please don't let him kill me…Faye…"

"Well, there you have it. Back to you To-m." Said The Joker with an eerie cackle. The screen then cut back to the once cheery looking anchorman who now looked as though he was about to wet his pants if he hadn't already. Some crew in the background yelled that they should cut to a commercial and they did.

Now all that was left for Faye to do was wait with baited breath and hope that Batman would be able to come to Sophie's rescue.

Batman had taken the new tumbler and was driving as fast as he could to the school. Chaos had broken out in the city of Gotham, the streets were packed with bus, cop cars, and parents all heading to the school. 10 minutes was not nearly enough time to evacuate all the students from the school. He was able to arrive at the scene to find that they had lucky gotten almost everyone out. After all they had practice in evacuating building quickly. He was not worried about the school at the moment. He had to look for any signs of the station van that The Joker had been using.

Gordon saw the black tumbler come tearing down one of the streets. He was busy trying to get everyone out of the building. So far they were only missing one person and that person was Sophie Summers the principle and after what he had just heard from a fellow officer they may never get her back. He did not worry to much because Batman was talking care of finding the girl. What was strange to him though was the fact that he had not seen any news vans near the school at all. But he didn't have time to dwell on it too much he would just focus on the school.

He looked down at his watch, one minute till everything on this campus blew sky high.

"Alright if that's everyone let's out of here quickly." He shouted directing cars full of students as far away from the campus as time would allow….

Batman noticed something was wrong. It was too easy; Gordon had already evacuated most of the students from and he would be able to find The Joker eventually. He did not however have much time to figure out why it was so easy because saw the thick smoke of what looked to be an explosion on the parallel street. It didn't make any sense because he had expected the explosion to have come from Gotham City High. He quickly changed directions and head over to the source of the explosion had come from. When he rounded the corner he saw just what had happened.

The remnants of what used to be a building where now reduced to mere concrete rubble. He stopped and got out of the tumbler. At stay piece of slightly singed paper blew past him and he caught it. The paper had a rather childish drawing of what looked like a people the heading in crayon read "My Family" with both y's backwards. He looked over at the building and the sign on the ground, Gotham City Elementary, of course The Joker would pull such a sick joke as this, after all he hadn't said on the news that Gotham city High was going to explored they had just assumed it.

A car that had been driving by had pulled over. Two people got out of the car, looking rather distraught, after all they had not focused on evacuating the other schools. It was then that he noticed the white news van parked right outside the wreckage.

The Joker could not have gotten far. Batman went over to the news van to see if there were any clues there. All he found was the signature Joker playing card on the windshield. He looked around at the surrounding buildings, the Joker did always like to have a view of the destruction. He noticed one of the floor on a particular office building was under construction.

He decided he would start there. He heading into the building taking the stairs up to the floor. With was filled with construction items and white cloths separated the rooms. He saw the silhouette of what looked to be a woman lying on the ground. He made his way cautiously towards it when suddenly he's legs were kicked out from underneath him. He quickly got back up and stood to face what he thought would be The Joker.

Instead a young woman stood before him. Her eyes and mouth were painted similar to that of The Joker only she did not have the scars or the stark white paint. She wore one black leather boot and one with red leather, with leggings that were the opposite color of the boots, she had on a short black skirt and red shirt with a black and red tailored vest. She held a gun in her hands which hand the sort of gloves on them than reveled your fingers. He almost didn't recognize her because of the now fiery red hair.

"Dr. Quinzel?"

She let out a hysterical laugh before answering. "It's Harley now, Harley Quinn. Mr. J said I you would show, and that if you did I was supposed to bring you to him, by force if necessary." She said now pointing the gun at him.

"If you're trying to threaten me the gun won't work." He said.

"I know, this one doesn't even work, it's just for show." She said throwing the gun aside. Once the gun was out of her hands he lunged forward grabbing her by the arm.

"Tell me where he is keeping her."

"You know, I'm not sure if I really feel like it anymore Bats." She said with a smirk.

He repeated himself this time more firmly.

"Alight, alright already I'll take you to see Mr. J." She said putting up her hands in defeat.

She lead him to a room that overlooked the remains of the elementary school. The Joker stood with his back to them, looking down at the destruction.

"Look, at them, people they're all like a bunch of ants. Perfectly content-t following there little line, un-til you drop and twig in their path and then, complete…chaos." He said when they entered the room.

"Where is she?" Said Batman not really at all in the mood for any of The Jokers games.

"Where's Ms. Parson?" said The Joker turning now to face them.

"You leave her alone." Batman said trying to sound angry.

"Ah, I seemed to have hit a ner-ve. Have a thing for her I suppose? Must be hard, knowing the little whore 's also screwing her boss." He said with a smirk

He usually did not let his emotions get the better of him when he was Batman, but he felt all the anger he had ever felt towards this man suddenly come to the surface. And he punched him square in the jaw so hard it caused The Joker to fall to the floor.

The Joker rolled on the ground laughing until he suddenly kicked Batman right in the leg with his boot with the knife in it. It hit Batman right in the calf. The Joker used this time to get up so he was now standing in front of Batman.

"You, know…I though you would have learned by now, time is a precious thing, it's very important in life…but it won't be for Ms. Sum-mers in about 15 minutes." He said licking his lips.

"Where is she!" Said Batman remembering again why he was here.

"Well, lets see…" He said tapping is finger over his mouth as he pretended to think "Harley, dollface, did you write that…address dow-n like I asked you to?"

"What address Mr. J?" Said Harley looking confused.

"I tell you, you jus-t can't find good help these days." He said rolling his eyes. " Now, let's see if I remember cor-rectly she is either at 16345 Irvington Street or 2857 Burke Lane."

"You had better be telling the truth." Said Batman glaring down at The Joker.

"Hey, I'm a man of my word-a" Said The Joker holding up his hands.

As much as Batman wanted to catch The Joker right there he knew he was short on time. He quickly headed for the tumbler. Once inside he called Gordon.

"I need you to send people over to 2857 Burke Lane."

"Did you find her then?"

"Maybe, he gave me two locations I'm going to try 16345 Irvington Street." Said Batman who was already driving away from the location. He hung up with Gordon and looked down at the GPS on the tumbler, it was then that he noticed that Irvington Street was the street he was already on and the building labeled 16345 was building he was just in. He slammed his fist on the wheel in frustration before turning around he knew he had just wasted precious time…

Faye had been watching the news for any signs of The Joker. She had been praying that Bruce would get there in time. She looked at the clock on her cell phone there was only a mere 10 minutes left before the hour was up. That was when she noticed the news station had suddenly cut to a room that looked like it was under construction. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw what was on the screen. The Joker was holding a knife to her friends cheek. The view of the camera made it so it was a profile of both Sophie and The Joker.

"Well, Ms. Summer's you have 5 minutes before you are going to die. Anything you want to talk about?"

Sophie didn't say anything she just looked scared and cried.

"No? Nothing? Not even a goodbye? Well that's…that's jus-t down right depressing. You should really try and smile more…like me." He said leering down at her.

"Let her go." Said a deep voice Faye was very happy to hear. He soon came into view when whoever was holding the camera turned to look at him before quickly panning back to The Joker and Sophie.

"Not until I get to h-ave a little cha-t with Ms. Parson."

"I've already told you you're not getting anywhere near her."

"Well then it looks like Ms. Summers h-ere is going to die then right about…now actually." He said looking at his watch, before ripping the knife trough Sophie's cheek. The camera then feel to the floor so you could not see what was going on, but you could hear it. A snap was heard like the sound of someone's neck breaking.

Then Bruce spoke "She still had five minutes!"

"Oh, Gee…I gues-s my watch-a must have been fast." Said The Joker in a careless tone.

**Well that's all for now. Sorry I have a lot of homework to do. But don't forget to review. **


	17. Olly Olly Oxen Free

Part of Faye really wanted whoever was holding the camera to face it on whatever seen was going on, however at the same time she knew she did not what to see the fate that had just befallen her best friend

**Yet another chapter as I try to stick to my update a day policy. **

Part of Faye really wanted whoever was holding the camera to face it on whatever seen was going on, however at the same time she knew she did not what to see the fate that had just befallen her best friend.

The screen when black which meant that someone had turned off the camera. She said alone in the room. Her best friend was just brutally murdered by a complete madman and the only comment he had said about her death was Oh…Gee I guess my watch must be fast.

Faye couldn't help but think that it was all her fault. If she had never gotten involved in all this, Sophie would still be alive. If hadn't have been hiding here like a coward, Sophie would be alive. And if what Sophie had said on the TV was true than Jackson, Sophie's fiancé was also dead. But how had The Joker known about what she knew. Did Harleen tell him? She had almost forgotten about Harleen, could she be dead as well.

So many thoughts and emotions ran through her mind. She felt angry and both herself and The Joker, and even Bruce. Why hadn't he gotten there in time to save her? Wasn't he the one who told her she should stay down here in the first place? If they had gone through with her plan then perhaps Sophie would not have been dead.

Sophie and Faye had been friends ever since college. They had always promised one another they would be each others maid of honor if they ever decided to get married. Sophie had planned on getting married in June, but now that didn't matter much because both Sophie and Jackson where dead.

Dwelling on thoughts such as these made Faye extremely melancholy. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she sat down on the bunk…she didn't know what else to do but curl up under the blankets and morn the loss of her friend.

"Oh…Gee…I guess my watch-a must be fast." Said The Joker tapping the face of the time piece. Sophie lay face down on the ground, her neck had been snapped a blood was pooling onto the floor from the wound on her face.

Batman made to move towards The Joker who moved backwards and said "You know I'm sur-rpised you're not worried about what's waiting for our good fr-iend the Com-missioner."

"What have you done to them?"

"Me? Nothing. But I can't say the same for Harley here, let's just say she knows a guy who knows a little a something about, some drugs, that really know, how to put for fe-ar in people." Said The Joker with a smirk.

As much as Batman wanted to catch The Joker right here and right now, he knew he had to radio Gordon first and to do that he would have to get to the Tumbler. He backed away from The Joker and only turned away to head back down the stairs. He heard the Joker yell "Tell the little fairy I said Hi." With a insane laugh.

Once inside the tumbler Batman called Gordon.

"Don't send your cops in that building, it's rigged with the Fear Toxin, used by Doctor Crane."

"We haven't set foot near that building after what we heard on the news. I'll send some people down there to deal with it. What are we going to do about The Joker?"

"You let me take care of him."

"And Ms. Parson."

"She's safe." He said. He couldn't help but wonder who Faye was taking the news. He thought it would be best if he go and check on her.

When he arrived back at the "bat cave" he found her pacing around in the room, her eyes red and puffy from tears. When she saw him she came towards him and rested her head on his chest as she sobbed "Why didn't you let me do something? He wasn't after her. She didn't have to die!"

He took his mask off before putting his arms around her.

"Why didn't you do something?" She said angrily hitting his chest with her fist, she knew it wouldn't actually hurt because he was still wearing his suit. She also knew it wasn't his fault but she was just so angry and she had to take it out on someone.

"Faye…" He started to explain.

"No, it's not your fault…it's my fault." She said stilling crying.

"No, Faye…" He said in a soothing tone. "It is not your falut." He said holding her to him tightly. They spend awhile just standing there, Faye crying into Bruce's chest while he held her and hand running up and down her back in a comforting manner.

After Faye felt as though she could cry no longer. She left Bruce's embrace to go and take a shower. When she came out he had changed out of his Batsuit and was now wearing sweats and a T-Shirt.

"I just can't figure out how he found out." Said Faye thinking of The Joker.

"Dr. Quinzel, she works for The Joker now."

"That little bitch sold me out!" Said Faye anger flaring inside of her. "I could kill her, for doing that!"

"Faye, killing her or The Joker isn't going to bring Sophie back." He said in a serious tone.

"I know, I'm just tired of doing nothing. I'm tired of just sitting here waiting! I want to go to work tomorrow."

"We've already been over this your staying here."

"Batman is trying so show people that they should not let criminals take control of their city. I'm not going to let The Joker win; I'm not going to let him get to me. I'm done hiding Bruce! I want to go back out there and do what I love doing. I've lost everything that was important to me, except you Bruce, please don't make me give up helping my students as well." She said with a passion in her voice that only came out when she was talking about teaching.

He let out a sigh of defeat. He knew she was right, he wouldn't be able to keep him hidden forever. "Alright, you can go into work, but I'm not letting you out of my sight. And I'm calling Gordon and he's setting up a perimeter around the building."

"Thank you." Said Faye sitting down on the bunk.

"Do you want me to stay here again tonight?" He asked.

"Please. I don't really want to be alone right now." She said sounding rather small. It was always strange to him to see her so vulnerable.

The next morning Alfred came down to the "batcave" with breakfast and a some business clothing for Faye. She put on the pants and white blouse as well as the black high heels. She found herself wishing they were her old pair, she missed her lucky black heels.

The drive over to work was a quiet one. Faye just keep trying to sum of every ounce of courage she could find. If The Joker came she did not want to appear weak, she wasn't going o let him think he had gotten to her.

Bruce keep glancing over at Faye noticing she had a determined expression on her face. Even though he would rather he be safe he knew she had to do this. He admired her for her courage. He knew she was doing this for Sophie.

When they pulled up to Wayne Enterprises there was a gaggle of cop cars and news vans. Bruce opened the car door and the familiar blinding flashed of multiple cameras went off. He went over to the other side of the car and opened the door for Faye. The police at the moment were keeping the reports at bay, while the reporters tried to yell questions at Bruce and Faye.

"Ms. Parson do you have any idea why The Joker is after you?"

"Where have you been hiding?"

"Is the Batman protecting you?"

"Are you dating Bruce Wayne?" That question made Faye stop from walking into the building. She turned to face the reporter.

"I just watched my best friend massacred on live TV and now you are asking about my love life?" Said Faye icily. Bruce put a hand on the small of her back trying to push her along.

"Ms. Parson, Mr. Wayne it would be best if you keep moving and went inside the building." Said Commissioner Gordon ushering the two of them towards Wayne Tower.

"What's with all the extra security?" Said Bruce pretending he didn't already know.

"We think there might be a threat on Ms. Parson's life. Did she not tell you that when she was staying with you?"

"Can't say I was there much. I had a party to go to." Said Bruce.

They were now safely inside the building so they headed up to the 14th floor. There were two cops standing in the room already waiting for them.

"Do you honestly think any students are going to come in for help today?" Said Bruce.

"I don't know." Said Faye heading to her office like she usually did. No sooner did she sit down than the elevator doors opened and most of the tutoring staff came out.

"Hey, Ms. P." Said Henry a former student of her's that she had hired to teach history when she couldn't.

"Hi." Said Faye managing a smile. "You are all early."

"Yeah, we just thought you might like the company. Everyone's sorry for your loss, it's tuff losing a friend, but if you need anyone to talk to about it we're here for you."

"Thanks, Henry." Said Faye.

"Well, we will be setting up for our lessons in case any of the students show up. Hey Mr. Wayne." He said first addressing Sophie then Bruce.

"Do you want me to help with anything?" Asked Bruce.

"No, it's alright I honestly don't think any of the students are coming." Said Faye trying to remain calm and keep herself busy by checking emails. It was nerve racking because every time she heard something from outside she tensed thinking it might be The Joker.

Bruce noticed this and came over toward her. He knelt down so he was at the same level as her sitting in her chair. He brought a hand under her chin and turned her face gently towards him. "It's going be alright." He said though he was not really sure if he could promise that.

"I hope so." She said leaning in to kiss him. But there kiss was cut short by the sound of the elevator door opening and one of there regulars for the tutoring program saying "Go, Ms. P." Along with some other cat calls from students in the elevator.

"You're all early." Said Faye turning to face all the students in the elevator.

"We, know it's just well we all lost someone in the Elementary school incident and we know you lost your friend yesterday and we just thought it might be a good idea to come her and talk about it." Said Jesse, the girl who came to tutoring almost everyday.

"Are you guys sure you all want to be here right now?" Said Faye.

"Yeah, plus Jesse said this was a good place to come a talk about stuff, she said you guys really listen here." Said a boy in back of Jesse.

"Alright then, go and tell the other teachers that we are not doing a lesson today and just talking, I'll be out in a moment." Said Faye.

"Are their parents alright with them being here?" Said Bruce.

"Most of these inner city kids, have parent who are alcoholics or have to work multiple shifts they don't have time for there kids." Said Faye.

When she came into the room, she noticed people had already began to move the table out of the way and create a big circle of chairs. Once it was done everyone sat down. Jesse started she had lost her little sister in the explosion. Other followed talking about there siblings, so of them regretted never getting along with them, or always telling them to go away. People listened and offered their condolences. Faye had not talked about Sophie and no one asked her to, they all new sometime people didn't want to talk about things. Bruce who was sitting next to Faye couldn't help but feel extremely guilty having to listen to what all these kids had to say. He should have told Gordon to evacuate all the schools.

Faye noticed Bruce's troubled expression and reached over to grab his hand. He looked over at her and she leaned over and whispered to him "It's not your fault."

Despite the relief people where feeling from talking about there losses there was still an uneasy tension in the room. Faye still kept looking out the window for any signs of something going wrong.

Suddenly they heard the elevator doors opened. The two police officers in the room pointed their guns at the elevator door. A tense moment passed and the elevator appeared to be empty until a flash of red and black soared out of the elevator knocking the two cops to the ground.

A woman stood over the two cops a pistol pointed at each one of them. She was followed by a man coming down from the emergency escape on the roof of the elevator.

"And pe-ple say gymnastics is only worth some-thing if you plan to go to the O-lympics." Said The Joker shooting both cops with the oozy he held in his hand. "Oh, I'm s-sorry was I inter-rupting you'r little int-ervention." He said his tongue running over his lips before he raised his hand "I'll go next. My name is…oh…The Joker, an I have a problem."

**Yes, I have left you with yet another cliffhanger, now as a reader you hate them, I know, but as I writer they are just so much fun. So don't forget to review and don't try and kill me because then you won't get to know what happens next will you?**

**Captain Turlow**


	18. I Am Batman

**Yet another chapter. I really like writing this story. Thanks everyone for all your feedback I love hearing from you guys.**

"I don't think talking will help you with your problem." Said Faye darkly but she focused her gaze on Harleen, she was the one who had sold her out.

The Joker looked behind him at Harley before turning back to Faye. "Oh that's right, you two al-ready know each other."

"Unfortunately." Said Faye glaring at Harley.

"Must be tou-gh knowing that someone you trusted…" He said know heading towards the circle of chairs the students on the side near him scooted away, so that were as far away from him as they could be. "betray-ed you."

Faye did not want to talk about this at all. She stood up from her chair her hands clenched into fists at her side. "What is it you want?!"

"You have quite the little temp-per don't you? I just came here to talk about the Batman or wait for him to come and 'rescue' you… it shouldn't take long I doubt he even let yo-u out of his sight. Harley, bring the camera over." He said turning towards Harley.

Faye noticed that Bruce was about to stand up. She placed a hand on his shoulder, slightly praying he wouldn't try and fight her. He didn't and sat back down, she was just thankful he had before The Joker had turned around again.

Harley then came closer to them all holding a slightly broken news camera. "Today Gotham we are going to have answer-red that question that has been something ev-eryone has wanted to know…who, is, the Batman?" Said the Joker to the camera before coming closer to Faye. "And ei-ther the lov-ly Ms. Parson here, will be telling us, or the Bat-man himself, wh-en he shows."

"I'm not telling you anything." Said Faye standing her ground.

"I fig-ured as much. So while we wait, let's play a game shall we?" He said with a leer that was even more sinister because of the grotesque scars on his face.

"No." Said Faye subconsciously taking a step closer to Bruce.

"Aw but it will be so-o much fun."

"She said no." Said Bruce.

"Was, I talking to you? No, I was tal-king to Ms. Parson here. Now you're mad at Harley here right? Cause, she's the reason you're friend-uh is dead. So here's the game take this…" He said trying to hand her the oozy. But she wouldn't grab it, she didn't want to let her anger make her do something she might later regret. "I said take it!" He shouted in anger. This time she did, because she knew making him angry was not a good idea.

"See? Was that so hard?" He said in a patronizing tone. "Now here's the game, since I've learned that it better to let your emotions out rather than keep them bot-tled inside, you can kill Harley here, cause it will make you feel better."

"Hey!" Said Harley looking extremely offended at how easily she was dismissed.

Part of Faye really wanted to kill her, but what Bruce had told her keep going through her mind, killing people like them wouldn't bring Sophie back. The room was silent watching to see what Faye was going to do.

"Go, on sho-ot her." Said the Joker.

As temping as it was for her to just shoot Harley she knew better. She took the gun and threw is across the room.

"I'm not going to do it."

"I can't believe you were going to let her do that Mr. J!" Said Harley angrily.

"Do-llface, I just wanted to see if she would. I doubted it, she's been play-ing hou-se with the bat, he probably taught her about mo-rals. Speaking of the bat, I'm surprised he hasn't come yet…unless…" Said The Joker now surveying everyone in the room. "He's already here."

The room broke out into a bunch of mummers and people began to whisper to their neighbors and look around the room. Faye was then grabbed roughly by The Joker, he spun her around so she now had her back to him as he used her to shield himself. Faye's fight or flight instinct kicked in and she elbowed him in the gut as she tried to break free from his grasp but she was too strong for her and he stilled her motions by grabbing her face and sticking a knife he had had up his sleeve in her mouth pressing it to the inside of her cheek.

"Now, which one of you is the Batman?" Said The Joker surveying the group. Faye looked over at Bruce hoping he wouldn't say anything.

"Jesse, Spartacus." Said Faye feeling the knife nick against her mouth as she spoke. Faye hoped Jesse remember the movie they had watched a few weeks ago. She had explained to Jesse, that the movie had not been historically accurate and that its most famous seen in which everyone stood up and said I Am Spartacus did not really happen.

"I'm the Batman." Said Jesse nudging the person sitting next to her trying to get them to say it as well.

"Funny, you don't look like a man." Said The Joker dryly. Faye had a feeling he didn't like it much when the joke was on him.

"No, I am the Batman." Said the boy sitting next to her. It continued to spread around the circle like wild fire, until even Bruce said it. This was however probably the only time in his life he would ever say such a thing to a room full of people.

The Joker let out a laugh, but something told Faye he was not at all amused. He removed the knife from her mouth and spun her around again so she was facing him. She started smugly at him.

"You, just think you're so-oo sm-art don't you?" He said also looking smug. "But you do real-ize that now that I know he's in the room, I don't ne-ed you alive anymore."

Faye's expression sank, but she had already seen how Sophie died and she had told herself that if it came to this she was going to go down swinging. But instead of killing her like she though he would do he punched her so hard that she fell to the ground. It was then that mass chaos broke out in the room, the students and teachers all rose from their seats and went to shield Faye from The Joker before he could do any more damage. Her face hurt and she felt someone help her up and she knew it was Bruce. "Get everyone out of here." He said in his deep voice.

Faye now standing saw that The Joker was now fighting with Henry, who was no match for the madman and soon fell on the floor clutching his bleeding stomach.

"Come on everyone we have to get out of here." Said Faye ushering students towards the stairwell. People quickly began to leave in fear of their lives. Faye noticed as she watched the number of people in the room thin out that Harley had the camera pointed at the area where in a few moments only Bruce would be standing. She lunged at Harley knocking her to the ground along with the camera. The Joker who had been kicking a injured Henry, turned towards the sound of the crash. Everyone else had already left the room except for Bruce, Henry and herself.

"You, broke my camera." Said The Joker coming towards Faye.

"Leave her alone. I'm the one you're after." Said Batman though it felt strange for Faye to see Bruce standing there.

"Well, well, well it seems as though Gotham's be-loved Prince is also, the masked viglant-ly it has sh-und for the past year. Can't say I expected that." He said turning towards Bruce.

Faye didn't know what to do. Should she leave and let Bruce handle it, or should she stay and try to help him? She did not however had long to ponder this because Harley had recovered from her surprise attack. Faye who had just stood up after tackling Harley felt her feet be kicked out from underneath her so that she was on the ground once more. Harley now stood over her.

"You wouldn't have had the guts to kill me." She said.

Faye glanced over at Bruce who was now fighting the Joker, they would be more evenly matched if Bruce had his suit, not the mention the fact that The cops could find a way into the building any minute now and then his secret would be out. She swung her leg around a kicked Harley to the floor. Faye quickly got up and starting backing away towards the door distancing herself from Harley.

"You're right I don't have the guts because I'm not a killer and I don't think you are either Harleen, I just can't believe you let him get to you. She said before running towards the stairwell. It was empty, she wondered if everyone else had already made it safely out of the building. When she got to the main lobby she noticed everyone else was standing their the cops just outside.

"Why haven't you guys left yet?" Asked Faye.

"The door is rigged with a bomb or something." Said Jesse. Faye went to look at the door and noticed there was in fact C4 rigged to the handled that would explode if anyone touched the handled. "The Commissioner radioed for the swat team and the bomb squad is on there way, he said not to do anything till then."

"Isn't there another way out!" Said Faye. She didn't have time for this she needed to get Bruce his suit and fast.

"No there's clowns on every floor. Steven checked, luckily they don't know we are down here yet."

Faye glanced around the room most of the entrance hall was made of glass windows that reached from floor to ceiling but the vibration from breaking one of those, might set off the bomb, a chance she could not risk taking, but she saw no other way out. She grabbing the rolling chair the security guard usually sat on and took it over to the window farthest away from the door. She then after praying it would worked hurled the chair as best she could at the window. The glass cracked but did not shatter until her second try.

"Ms. P! What the hell are you doing?" Said Jesse as Faye climbed out what was once a window. Commissioner Gordon came hurrying over to where Faye had just excited.

"Are you alright?" He asked her. She imaged she must have looked a fright. Her hair was falling out of her ponytail, she felt a bruise forming on her face and right calf, and her mouth had a coppery taste that suggested the nick from the knife was bleeding.

"He doesn't have his suit Gordon." Said Faye heading over to one of the squad cars.

"Who?" He said following her.

"Batman." She said looking in the window and seeing that the keys were on the dashboard. She opened the door and climbed into the drivers seat.

"What do you think you're doing!" He said as she shut the door. She put the keys in the ignition and rolled down the window.

"I'm sorry I have to commandeer this vehicle." She said.

"You can't do that you're not a cop."

"I know you can arrest me later." She said putting her foot on the gas and speeding off, leaving a rather irate looking Gordon behind. Yes, it was against the law to steal a police vehicle but desperate times called for desperate measures.

**Sorry, I'm not very good at writing action sequences. Now I have to study for a calculus test I have tomorrow. Thank you everyone for reading my story so far. Sorry I keep leaving you hanging but it is the climax of the story suspense is necessary. Don't forget to review! **


	19. Waiting

**Another chapter, I'm sad because the story only has a few more chapters to go. I'm going to miss writing it.**

Faye came to a screeching halt in front of the warehouse building. She thanked her good memory for remembering where it was. She was about to try and figure out a way in when Alfred exited it.

"Alfred!" She said getting out of the car.

"Is that a police car? And what has happened to you" He said as she ran towards him.

"Yes, it is. But that's not important right now. Bruce is fighting The Joker and he doesn't have his suit. So I need to go get it and bring it to him." She said hurriedly.

"Alright." Said Alfred turning back to the warehouse and opening the door. Faye rushed inside and noticed that the suit had been put back into the floor. Alfred enter in the combination on the key pad. Faye grabbed everything that looked important before heading into the secret passageway that lead to where the tumbler was keep. It was right under Wayne Tower which meant she could take the elevator up to one of the floors in the building. She quickly got inside and pushed the only button there was. It lead to the 25th floor right inside Bruce's office. She sneaked over to the door and opened it quietly. There were two men wearing clown masks standing just outside the door. If she could just quietly get to the other elevator without them noticing…she took off her shoes so that her heels would not make a sound however as she made her way into the hallway one of the bat shaped throwing stars fell to the ground with a clang.

Both clowns turned to face her pointing their weapons at her. She put the suit on the floor and raised her hands up in surrender. "I need to talk with you're boss."

"Go ahead Charlie radio 'im." Said one of the clowns.

"Hey, boss there's some girl here says she needs to talk to you." Said Charlie into a radio.

"He's a little busy at the moment. Who's asking?" Said Harley on the other end of the radio.

"Charlie."

"No you idiot who wants to talk to him?"

"Tell her a Faye Parson does." Said Faye glaring at the two clowns.

"She says her name is Faye Parson."

"Send her down." Said Harley.

The Clowns then let Faye go to the elevator and head down to her floor. Bruce and The Joker were still fighting as Harley sat in Faye's office looking rather bored.

"Bruce I brought you're suit." Said Faye heading into the room.

"Aw, how touching did you bring him a sn-ack too?" Said The Joker with a laugh as Bruce took the opportunity to punch him in the face and the fighting resumed once again.

"You really think that's going to help, Mr. J can beat him with or with the suit. He doesn't have any rule he can do anything." Said Harley coming out of the office to stand next to Faye.

"Rules are what help society function. Too much anarchy always ends badly, take the French Revolution for example. You have to learn from history and not make the same mistakes of those before you. I don't know what you see in him Harleen."

"Hey, Mr. J set me free alright? He taught me a way I can do anything. I never got any respect down at Arkham, they always said I was too young to be working there and didn't have enough experience but here I am getting the last laugh."

"He's brought you down to his level that's what he's done." Muttered Faye looking over at Bruce and The Joker still fighting she felt she had to do something to help him. However while she was contemplating this Harley grabbed one of her arms and twisted it almost to the point where her shoulder could dislocate at any moment. Faye let out a yelp of pain.

"Mr. J had been nothing but good to me, and he's above the likes of you so you take back what you said!"

"No." Said Faye through clenched teeth. She let of a cry of pain as Harley dislocated her shoulder.

Bruce had paused for a moment when he heard Faye's cry. He saw one of her arms was hanging limply by her side as she reached back a punched Harley with her good arm. In Bruce's moment of distraction The Joker kicked him in the shin with one of his knife tipped boots and it caused Bruce to fall to the floor.

Faye noticed him fall, there we loosing the battle right now. She noticed the oozy she had tossed on the ground was lying right next to her foot. She bent down and grabbed it pointing it at The Joker who was not standing over Bruce, she was going to try her best just to hit him so he couldn't do anymore damage to Bruce, but she couldn't make any guarantees her right arm was useless to her at the moment and she had never tried to shoot with her left hand before.

Bruce saw Faye standing and pointing the gun at The Joker, he heard a shot ring out and realized an oozy was a machine-gun like weapon and would therefore not fire one round. He also noticed that Faye was clutching her side as she fell to the floor. He noticed Harley a little bit behind her holding a smoking revolver. He got up quickly and turned towards The Joker and roughly grabbed him by the jacket. "I thought I told you that you fight was with me and not her!"

"Yeah, we-ll about that. It's just not as fun fighting you like this it's actually rather bor-ring so…it se-ems I caught you at a bad time, so I'm willing to call the whole thing off."

"What?" Said Bruce still talking like Batman.

"We-ll, if I'm going to ki-ll you it should be in a more inter-sting way than this. S-o you let me go, and I'll let you try and save the l-ove of your li-fe."

Batman put The Joker down. "What about her?"

"Harley? You can let the cops arrest her."

"Hey!" Said Harley in an angry tone.

"Sorry to-ots sometimes you just have to lea-rn to take one for the te-am." He said with a laugh. Then the floor suddenly exploded right around his feet causing the section of the floor to fall to the next floor. The Joker jumped down the hole to make his escape, but Bruce was no longer concerned with him. He limped over to where Faye lay, she was still breathing so that was at least a good sign.

"Bruce…" She said weakly reaching her hand up to touch him face.

"You're going to be alright. It's going to be fine, just try and save your strength alright?" He said silently praying that these statement would be correct.

"Bruce…the police are coming up…you can't let them see the suit…" She said trying to reach over and grab it. Bruce beat her to it. She was right he would have to do something with the suit. He looked over and saw a rather heart broken looking Harley just standing there next to the elevator. The elevator was the best way. He placed the suit inside and set charges on the door. It would destroy the suit but it seemed it was the only option right now.

After they were set he when back to Faye who seemed to be fighting to remain conscious. She was afraid that if she passed out she may never wake up again. The charges went off just as the SWAT team came charging in. Harley was arrested on the spot and they radioed for a stretcher to get Ms. Parson to an ambulance.

Gordon came up along with the stretcher.

"What the hell just happened?" He asked.

"I haven't any idea, I was stuck in the elevator and lucky I got out before it exploded and then I found Faye, like this. What's been going on?" Said Bruce quickly thinking of an alibi.

"How you manage not to notice these things amaze me, Mr. Wayne. The Joker took control of you're building."

"I know I was in the room when I happened."

"You were?" Said Gordon as they followed Faye in the stretcher down the stairs.

"Yeah, but then Batman showed up and he told everyone to leave so I took the elevator and it shut down."

"Didn't think to take the stairs like everyone else who got safely out of the building?" Said Gordon shaking his head.

They remained silent until Faye was loaded into an ambulance. Bruce went inside with her watching as they hooked her up to various machines but the one he keep looking at was the one monitoring her heart. It keep jumping from a fast raid to a slow one and he didn't think he ever saw Faye look more pale in her life than she did now.

He had never gotten a chance to really tell her just how much she meant to him, he loved her and now she might never know. He told himself not to think like that, Faye had always been a tenacious person.

Once they arrived at the hospital Faye was rushed to a different room in the emergency room and Bruce was forced to sit in the waiting room. The nurse there had noticed his limp because of the pain in his leg and offered to wrap the wound.

"God, it looks like someone stabbed you with a knife." She said when she was done.

"I got it caught on something in the elevator shaft I just climbed out of." He said.

"I was watching the news when what happened in that room was on. You're girlfriend was very brave Mr. Wayne, standing up to The Joker like that." She said with a smile.

"Yes, she was." Said Bruce trying not to think of what could be happening to Faye now. In the waiting room there was just a few other people. An elderly woman sat with her husband who was breathing out a tube, a woman with a baby that wouldn't stop crying sat across from Bruce, and the news was also on the TV."

"No, one is quiet sure what happened today at Wayne Tower but as seen before in earlier clips The Joker, took a room of people hostage and then let everyone go… Faye Parson was also just taken to the hospital for injuries that we do not know who she obtain we will keep you posted as we find out more…" Said the news reported on the TV.

"Can someone please turn that off?" Said Bruce angrily. The nurse who was sitting at the reception desk reached for a remote and changed the channel.

"Thank you." He said leaning back in his chair and putting his hands over his face. He wished he could be with her right now, instead of sitting in this damn waiting room having to listen to whatever the media would decided to come up with for what had happened at Wayne Tower today. He tired not to think about Faye, because every time he did, he always thought of the worst think that could happen to her. He got up from his chair and walked over to the vending machine in the corner of the room and stared blankly at the different food items. He didn't actually want to buy any of it, he just needed something to do.

He then went over to the front desk to talk to the nurse who had bandaged his leg.

"Can you tell me what exactly the doctor's have found out about her condition?" He asked.

"No, I'm sorry information like that can only be given to family members or people on this list here, but I can tell you that she went into surgery a moment ago."

"She, doesn't have any family and the only people are this list are dead!" Said Bruce angry at her for not telling him what was going on.

"I'm sorry Mr. Wayne but hospital policy…" Started the nurse.

"Oh, don't tell me you're sorry! You have not idea what I'm dealing with right now! I want to know what's going on a I want to know now, god damn it!" Said Bruce slamming his fist on the table. He felt someone grab him by the shoulders and gently lead him away from the counter.

"Do, excuse Master Wayne. He is under a lot of stress right now." Said Alfred.

"Alfred they won't tell me what's wrong with Faye!" He said as Alfred lead him over to one of the chairs.

"Sit." Said Alfred pushing him into the chair.

"No." Said Bruce trying to get up, but Alfred stopped him, because he wasn't trying that hard to stand.

"No, Master Wayne, you sit there and you listen. That young woman is just doing her job you do not need to take your anger out on her." Said Alfred in a scolding tone.

"Alfred I can't just sit here, and wait!" Yelled Bruce.

"Like it or not it's all you can do. You can't be there to save her all the time, you're just going to have to trust someone else to and hope for the best." Said Alfred solemnly.

"I've never seen her look so fragile, Alfred." Said Bruce gravely.

"She will be fine, Master Wayne." Said Alfred trying to sound sincere but he really didn't know if Ms. Parson would be alright, he only hoped that Bruce would be able to handle it if she was not fine…

**I know this is a horrible place to leave you at, but just like Bruce all you people can do it sit and wait…oh and you can also do something he can't do and that's leave me a review. So please review!**


	20. Relief

**Thank you to those of you who read this story! Here is the next chapter enjoy! Also hopefully spelling and grammer is better.**

Bruce had watched the minute hand make countless rotations around the clock. Waiting was agonizing, anytime a doctor walked into the room, he felt his heart skip a beat, but none of them ever approached him. The sun had set some many hours ago and Alfred at some point in the evening had tried to force him to eat some dinner from the hospital cafeteria, which Bruce had moved around the plate for awhile before saying he wasn't hungry.

Alfred had gone home to get some rest, because as he had said, he was an old man and now Mr. Fox was there keeping Bruce company. Most likely to be there in case he tired to berate the nurse at the reception desk again.

"That probably needs stitches." Said Mr. Fox it was the first thing he had said to Bruce in hours. At around midnight he had tired to get him to drink a cup of coffee, which Bruce had refused.

"I'll fix it later." Said Bruce glancing down at his bandaged leg which was stained red from the knife wound.

"Also I hear you might be needing a new suit." Said Lucius.

"I can wear my old one for now." Said Bruce he was only half listening to what Lucius had said because a rather tired looking doctor came into the waiting room and went over to the main desk to talk with the nurse. After they conversed for a little awhile, the doctor looked over at Bruce and then began to approach him.

"The nurse said you are waiting to hear news of Ms. Parson, am I correct?"

"Yes." Said Bruce trying to read the doctors expression but couldn't.

"Well, as you have already been told hospital policy states that we are not allowed to give information to people who are not family at this time, but we have been unable to find any of Ms. Parson's insurance records and we have been told that all of this information was at her apartment that was destroyed a few days ago…"

"I'll pay for whatever she needs to have done." Said Bruce quickly.

"Yes, we were under the impression you might. If you do pay for it then I can inform you on what is going on."

"Is she alright?"

"Yes, we do believe she will make a solid recovery. Her shoulder has been relocated and will be sore for awhile and she should try not to use it. Her cheek bone was fractured but should heal alright. We gave her another tetanus shot because she hadn't had an updated one in awhile and that knife wound on the inside of her mouth required some stitches mostly on the inside of her mouth only a few can be visually seen on her face. As for the gun shot wound she was very lucky, the bullet was lodged in her right kidney and because of this she lost a lot of blood and the organ was so damaged we had to remove it. But she was given a blood transfusion and is reacting to it well, and as for her other kidney it was healthy enough that she should be able to recover and live a perfectly healthy life."

Bruce let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. Can I see her?"

"Mr. Wayne it is two in the morning and she has just been through quite the ordeal she will most likely be asleep for almost a day. Why don't you get some rest and see her at a more decent hour." Said the doctor.

Bruce looked ready to fight him about it when Lucius came up behind him and said with a wry smile "Come on now Mr. Wayne, you should listen to what the doctor tells you. You're not above the law."

"No, you're right Mr. Fox, _I'm_ not." Said Bruce and idea forming in his head. "Just so I know for tomorrow what room number is she staying in?"

"B45, it's on the third floor. She will probably have to stay here for a least a couple of days she is being well taken care of and her room has a nice view of the city."

"I'm glad to hear that." Said Bruce leaving the hospital closely followed by Mr. Fox.

"I take it you'll be needing your old suit for this Mr. Wayne?" Said Lucius.

"Yeah, I will is it still where it was before?" Said Bruce.

"I do believe it is." Said Mr. Fox with a smile.

Bruce made his way back over to the "bat cave" and entered in the combination for his old suit. After putting it on he remembered why he had wanted to new one so badly, this suit was heavy and it did not allow him to move his head. It would however have to work for now. He decided to take the motorcycle because it wasn't as noticeable as the tumbler.

On his way back to the hospital however he noticed the familiar symbol in the sky. Gordon probably wanted to talk to him about what had been going on since yesterday. When he arrived on the roof top, he noticed Gordon standing their.

"Where have you taken Dr. Quinzel?" He asked making his presence known.

"She is being kept in a holding cell here. She should be put in Arkham but it's not going to be rebuild for awhile so, it's what we can do for now. Did you find The Joker?"

"No, he's not going to just let us find him. He'll come out of hiding whenever he is ready to."

"I was afraid of that. Now do you mind telling me what the hell happened at Wayne Tower yesterday?"

"It's probably best no one knows."

"Not going to make my job any easier. This whole things a mess. Elementary School explosion killed a hundred people, along with Sophie Summers, Jackson Hill, Cathy Bloomsfield, and Henry Tomson. Not to mention the whole ordeal involving Ms. Parson, broke a window in the building that was near a door rigged with C4, steals a squad car and then somehow gets backing into the building with anyone noticing and goes out with a gunshot wound. Do you know if she's alright the hospital won't release any information?"

"She's going to recover."

"That's good to hear. Also if you know where she put that squad car could you tell us or bring it back here, we won't press charges as long as it gets returned."

"Alight." He said before disappearing from Gordon's view and heading over to the hospital. The window had been easy to open from the outside and he was able to be in her room rather quickly.

The light from the open window was falling on her bruised face. She will still hooked up to a heart monitoring machine and now and IV as well. Her arm was in a sling just so she wouldn't strain it and he also noticed she was now wearing a hospital gown. Her looked closer at her face and saw the four small stitches on the side of her face just to the left of her lip. He was so relived she was going to be alright. He wanted to stay here until she woke up but he knew he couldn't. He would have to go back to the penthouse and get some sleep before he would come back here again. He wanted to let her know that he had been here, just in case she woke up before he came back, so he left one of the bat shaped throwing stars on the nightstand by her bed.

A few hours later Faye woke up to the sun shining light into her face. She noticed that the window was open which would explain why it was much brighter in here. It took her a moment to realize where exactly she was. She knew she was in a hospital she remembered the ambulance and Bruce being with her, he had looked so worried. Then she remembered going into surgery before being put under and now she was in a room. She looked under the cover and felt the bandaging that was under her hospital gown, then she reached up and touched the small amount of stitches on her face, she could feel even more of them inside her mouth. A nurse came in the room carrying some yogurt which she placed on the nightstand next to Faye.

"I wasn't expecting you to be up yet." She said to Faye with a smile. "You had quite the stressful day yesterday and part way through this morning. Oh who left this open" She said going over to the window to close it.

Faye wasn't entirely listen to what the woman was saying but rather focusing on the object sitting next to the yogurt. She reached for it with her good arm, handling it carefully so as not to cut herself on the sharp section of it. She smiled as best she could with the stitches, it brought her great comfort to know that Bruce had been there to make sure she was alright.

"What have you got there?" Said the nurse.

"Just sort of a get well soon present I suppose." Said Faye. "Do you think you could tell me what exactly happened to me?"

"Sure, basically I'm sure you've already noticed your arm has been fixed, as well as the stitches. Also if her feel a throbbing right on the boney part of your cheek it is because you have a slight fracture on your cheek bone. Also you major surgery involved the removal of one of your kidneys and well as a transfusion. But don't worry though, lots of people can live perfectly healthy lives with only one kidney. You're very lucky that bullet didn't damage anything else."

"Yeah, I guess I am." Said Faye with a yawn, she felt exhausted but then she saw Bruce standing in the doorway, holding some sunflowers.

"Can I come in?" He asked more to the nurse than to Faye.

"Oh, of course. I'll just get out of your way." Said the nurse leaving the room. Bruce put the flowers on the nightstand and pulled up a chair to sit beside Faye's bed.

"I'm so glad you're alright." He said looking at her with his dark brown eyes that still held a look of worry and guilt.

"Me too." Said Faye not really sure what else to say.

"I just keep thinking, that if something were to actually happen, that I never would have gotten the chance to tell you just how much you mean to me" He said caressing the side of her face that wasn't as bruised. "Faye, I love you."

"I love you too Bruce." Said Faye fighting back another yawn, she was so tired but she really didn't want to sleep she wanted to keep talking to Bruce.

"You can go to sleep Faye." Said Bruce with a laugh noticing her dilemma. "I promise I will be here the next time you wake up." He said giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Alright." Said Faye yawning once again.

In a matter of minutes she was asleep. Bruce stayed by her bed side like he had promised. As the day went on more and more flowers made their way into the room. They were from other people at work, concerned students, random strangers and even the police department.

One item that entered the room caught his attention. The nurse had no idea who it was from because there was no card, it looked like a Jack-in-the-box and Bruce was hesitant to even turn the handle. Eventually he did and pop goes the weasel began to play until a rather sinister looking clown holding a playing card popped out of the box with a crackling laugh. Leave it to The Joker to want to remind both him and Faye that he was in fact still out there and still at large. He shoved the toy back into the box, as he wondered why any child would have ever found enjoyment in a toy such as that.

"Has Ms. Parson been asleep the whole time, or did I miss it when she woke?" Said Alfred entering the room.

"She was awake a couple of hours ago."

"Then at least it is good she is resting now."

"Yeah. Hey what took you so long to get here?" Said Bruce knowing it took less than 15 minutes to get from the penthouse to the hospital.

"I go a call from the builder. Wayne Manor is complete, they are ready to start moving the furniture in and it should be ready to be lived in about two day."

"You mean _all _of it is done?" Said Bruce stress the all so that Alfred would know he was talking about a certain part of the manor.

"Even that part of the manor is completed Master Wayne." Said Alfred.

"Good." Said Bruce looking back over at Faye.

"Will, Ms. Parson be staying with us as well once she is cleared from the hospital."

"Of course she will, Alfred." Said Bruce.

"I though so but you know I just can't assume these things. I take it we have pretty much made her part of the family by now?"

"Unofficially yes, perhaps even one day officially so."

"I'm glad to here that Master Wayne. There are many things in you're life I don't approve of, and I don't say a thing about them. However if you ever got rid of a girl that was willing to almost get herself killed after trying to save your ass, I think I might have to quit on the spot." Said Alfred with a smile.

"You know I would never do that Alfred, it's not everyday you find a girl who's willing to deal with all the strings that come attached to my life." Said Bruce also smiling.

"No, Master Wayne, you certainly do not." Said Alfred.

**Well you people all know what to do, please leave me a review. Also I've been playing around with the idea of a sequel for this story can you guys tell me if you would be interested? **

**Captain Turlow**


	21. A Happy Ending

5 months later…

**Last chapter so enjoy!**

5 months later…

Faye tried to roll out of bed but a pair of strong arms held her in place. She let out a sigh before rolling over to face Bruce.

"Bruce, you know we have to go to the party."

"I know." He grumbled not making any effort to get up at all.

"It's starts in like an hour." She said trying to get up again but once again was stopped by Bruce.

"We could be late?" Said Bruce as one of the arms that had been around her waist was now trailing down her thigh.

"Mmm, but as much as I want to you know we can't. You have to make an appearance at that party before 'work' calls you away." She said kissing him before successfully getting out of bed. She had taken on of the sheets with her as she headed to the shower.

Faye's life had changed a lot over these past few months. If you would have told her a year ago that she would be living and madly in love with Bruce Wayne she probably would have fallen to the floor shaking with laughter. However this was her reality, Bruce had saved her life in so many ways, and he would always be there for her when she needed him. He understood what it was like to feel responsible for the death of someone, even though he had told her countless times that Sophie's death was not Faye's fault she still always felt guilty. She could talk to him about almost anything, though she missed having 'girl talk' with Sophie, she was just as happy to have Bruce there.

The most difficult thing for them as a couple was the fact that they hardly had any time to themselves. At work they had to act professional and not let there romance distract from their jobs. At home when they actually did have a few hours to themselves, Faye usually had to grade papers, or Bruce had to discuss something with Lucius. Then they usually had some sort of benefit they had to go to almost every night, when Bruce would have to leave early because of 'work' and Faye would not see him again until two in the morning when he was usually so tired he showered and then went straight to bed or came back with a cut or something of that nature that Faye would have to stitch for him. But like today they made the most of the few hours they could.

When Faye got out of the shower Bruce was already dressed and wearing a nice tux. Faye grabbed the powder blue gown from the closet and changed into it as well. As she sat at her vanity putting on her makeup Bruce came up behind her and whispered in her ear "You really look beautiful in that dress tonight."

"You think I look beautiful in anything I'm wearing." Said Faye with a smirk.

"No, that's not true. I think you look beautiful regardless of what you're wearing; in fact I think I like you best when you're not wearing anything." He said kissing her neck.

"Alfred, going to kill you if you make him take another one of my dresses to the dry cleaner." Said Faye turning around to face him.

Bruce was about to say something back to her when Alfred came in the room.

"Ms. Parson is correct in her statement that I do not what to have to go to another dry cleaner and state why the dress is so wrinkled." Said Alfred opening the curtains in the room.

"Oh Alfred I could have done that." Said Faye.

"Ms. Parson, need I remind you that it is my job." Said Alfred with a laugh she always said things like this because she felt bad that Alfred was always doing simple tasks that she herself could have done. "I'm also here to inform you that some of the guest are already in the ballroom."

"I suppose we should go then." Said Faye getting up and looking over at Bruce.

"You go ahead, I'll catch up with you there's something I need to ask Alfred."

"Alright, just don't leave me with those people for to long you know I hate that." Said Faye heading out into the hall.

"Was it ready today?" He asked.

"But "it" I am assuming you are referring to the engagement ring and not the modification on the new suit. If you mean the engagement ring Master Wayne then yes, it is indeed ready I have it right here." Said Alfred reaching into his pocket and pulling out a black velvet box.

Bruce took the box and opened it examining the antique, platinum ring that had once been his mother's. He had gotten it resized so it could fit Faye's finger. He knew she would love it, it was not to flashy it was a oval cut diamond surrounded by smaller princess cut diamonds.

"Are you planning on asking her tonight then Master Wayne?" Said Alfred when Bruce pocketed the ring.

"I've been considering it." Said Bruce putting his hands in his pockets. "I'm just not sure if I want to ask her in front of all these people. It's nerve wracking."

"Well you already know she is going to say yes." Said Alfred with a laugh.

"Why is that funny Alfred?"

"It's not Master Wayne, what is though is the fact that you are more nervous about asking a woman to marry you than you are about the fact that there is a dangerous criminal still on the loss plotting ways to kill you."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Not really much to worry about." Said Bruce with a smile.

He left the room and headed over to the ballroom. He scanned the room looking for Faye.

"She is over by the punch talking with The Commissioner." Said Lucius coming up next to Bruce.

"Thanks." Said Bruce looking over at the punch and spotting Faye.

"Is everything alright between you two, I don't think I've ever seen a time when you two haven't entered one of these events attached at the hip." Said Lucius.

"What? No, everything is fine. I just had to get something before coming here." Said Bruce still looking at Faye.

"Right, well good luck to you, Mr. Wayne." Said Lucius as Bruce walked towards Faye.

"Commissioner I hope you don't mind if I steal Ms. Parson from you for awhile?" Said Bruce putting an arm around her waist.

"Not at all." Said Gordon.

Bruce then lead Faye out onto the into the terrace that was right outside the ballroom.

"Bruce what are we doing out here?" Said Faye wondering why he had interrupted her conversation just to lead her to the terrace.

"I just needed to ask you something and I didn't know when else I would have the time, because you know there's always that danger that I may never come back from some of the stuff I have to do and well…" Said Bruce getting on one knee. "I love you Faye, you mean the world to me and I want to spend the rest of my life with you…"

Faye at this point in time had put her hand over her mouth and muttered something along the lines of oh my god. As for the rest of the people at the party as soon as one of them had saw Bruce on one knee they crowded around the windows to see what was happening.

"So, will you Faye Parson, marry me?" He said waiting for her to answer. She was crying by now, hopefully from tears of joy. In that moment it took her to answer time seemed to pass extremely slow.

"Yes, yes Bruce I would love to marry you." She said with a smile and then he got up a hugged her spinning her around before setting her down once again. He pulled out the black velvet box and opened it.

"It's beautiful Bruce." She said unable to stop smiling as he slide the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. And as they kissed someone opened the door that lead out to the terrace and everyone applauded.

It just goes to show that you can never stop learning. Learning to not judge a book by its cover, learning to live, and most importantly learning to love, whether it be learning to love again or learning to love for the first time.

**Yes, this chapter was short and yes tear it is the end of the story. I have enjoyed writing this story and working with all the characters some much that you will be interested to know that I have in fact decided to make a sequel. I will post a preview for it sometime today on this story. Thank You all for reading it!**

**Captain Turlow**


	22. Teaser Trailer

**As promised here is a teaser trailer for some of the things that will be happening in my new story. Also I need a title so if anyone had ideas? The mean the scene has changed.**

Teaser Trailer

"I understand you are looking for a tutor Mrs. Wayne?" Says and unknown voice from the other line.

"Who is this how did you get this number?" Said Faye holding the cell phone to her ear.

"I represent a very skilled group of people who might be able to help you with what you are looking for."

"Faye! How many times do I have to tell you! I'm not going to let you willing put you're life in danger, last time you almost got yourself killed!" Said Bruce taking off him mask, he yelling echoing through the cave.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You ever said it yourself everyone needs help even Batman!"

"You don't even have any training Faye."

"Yes I do!" She said glaring at him.

"Oh really and how is that?!"

"Did you honestly think I was going to a Pilates class every night Bruce?"

"So you're saying you lied to me?" He said clenching his jaw.

"Well Mr. Nygma, you seem extremely over qualified for the job, but I do need a new science tutor, so a long as I check with Mr. Wayne, I think the job is yours." Said Faye.

"Really? That's great." Said Edward looking very pleased.

"If you don't mind me asking Mr. Nygma, why did you want to apply for this job? You could have easily worked at a lab or something."

"The hours are good, and I needed something to pay the bills while I work on my research." Said Edward as he began rearranging the pencils on Faye's desk so that each one was an equal distance apart.

"The man calls himself The Riddler, last night he robbed a diamond store and he left us this." Said Gordon showing Batman the note written on the back of a piece of paper cut in the shape of a question mark.

"Why would he leave us a clue telling us it was him?"

"Who knows, this town is just getting full of more and more crazies. Same night The Joker robs a bank."

"Do you think they are working together?"

"No, The Joker left us a tape of his own. Basically he wants The Riddler out, says Gotham is his city."

**Sorry if that seemed a little jumpy but that's what teaser trailers do. Basically, I'm bringing in some more villains. The Riddler should be interesting to try and work with. As you all know Johnny Depp is rumored to play The Riddler so I'm going to try and base my version of the Riddler as something more along the lines of the way he would. Though I can't say it will be as amazing as his performance would be, but I will do my best. I'm also taking some inspiration from the Jim Carrey Riddler. I don't know what the title of the sequel will be but be on the look out for it anyway. **

**Captain Turlow**

**P.S. If you have any suggestion about the sequel let me know! **


	23. Sequel!

**Okay so if some of you noticed I changed the title of the sequel because apparently the title I had before was already in use. So I took part of a quote from the Batman Forever Jim Carrey Riddler. The story will now be Who's Afraid of the Big Black Bat? unless I think of something better...**


End file.
